New Orleans Saints receiver Brandin Cooks had a very pedestrian start to the 2015 season.

In his first seven games, he had only 35 catches for 444 yards and 1 touchdown. In that stretch of games, Cooks eclipsed 100 yards receiving only once and totaled fewer than 50 yards in three games.

Then he exploded.

Cooks finished the season with 84 catches for 1,138 yards and 9 touchdowns. He became the first Saints player since Jimmy Graham in 2013 and the first Saints wide receiver since 2012 to eclipse 1,000 yards receiving, a somewhat shocking revelation considering Drew Brees' proclivity for piling up passing yards on an annual basis.

Cooks led the Saints in catches, receiving yards, and touchdowns. According to Football Outsiders, his 82.7 percent offensive snap rate was fourth-best on the Saints, behind only Brees, Benjamin Watson, and two offensive linemen.

Which type of production can we expect in 2016?

A Tale of Two Seasons

In the final nine games of the season Cooks grabbed 49 receptions for 694 yards and a very impressive 8 touchdowns.

While his per-game averages of 5.4 catches and 77.1 yards in the final nine games weren’t a huge improvement over the 5 catches and 63.4 yards he averaged in the first seven – the touchdowns obviously were.

After the first seven weeks of the 2015 season, Cooks’ 33.28 Reception T.Y. Hilton.

Our projections currently have Cooks as the 16th-most productive receiver on the year in terms of fantasy points with a projected 87.36 catches, 1,061.4 yards, and 9.06 touchdowns.

The New Orleans Advocate’s Nick Underhill believes our projections are too conservative, setting Cook’s floor at 1,200 yards and saying he could flirt with 1,500 yards. ESPN Saints reporter Mike Triplett, says Cooks "looks ready to explode."

Red (Zone) Flag?

One cause for concern regarding Cooks' upside is Brees’ tendency to target tight ends in the red zone. Last season, Saints’ tight-ends, Ben Watson, Josh Hill, and Michael Hoomanawanui combined for 30 red zone targets compared to Cooks’ 8.

Jimmy Graham was the was the most frequently targeted player in the red zone in both 2014 and 2013.

The signing of Coby Fleener to a five-year, $36 million deal likely means that Brees will continue to target tight-ends inside the scoring area.

Only 5’10” but explosive, Cooks has a game that will never be predicated on bodying up cornerbacks on goal-line fade routes. He’s more likely to score on a 71-yard bomb.

What It All Means

Cooks could very well be the most dynamic receiver Brees has ever had on his roster.

While it remains unlikely that Brees will suddenly force feed one player -- regardless of his play-making abilities -- 150-plus targets, it isn’t unreasonable to assume that Cooks will be the most heavily targeted Saint this season. With somewhere in the neighborhood of 130 targets, Cooks will produce big numbers.

Even if Cooks is giving up red zone looks to Fleener and other bigger bodies, he more than makes up for it with his ability to score from anywhere on the field.

If Cooks can begin to produce on the road at a level similar to the way he produces at home, he could move from the bottom tier of wide receiver-one status up into the elite echelon of playmakers you wish you drafted.