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I’m a big fan of history and believe in learning lessons from the past so I decided to go back 30 years into Saints draft history and see what it can tell us about future strategy.
Here’s what I discovered – hope you enjoy it….
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Don’t draft receivers in the first two rounds. Take one in the seventh round instead! The best two receivers in Saints history (sorry Joe Horn fans) are Eric Martin and Marques Colston, both were taken in round 7. When we grab a receiver early we normally end up disappointed. (Lindsay Scott, rd 1 1982; Lonzell Hill Rd 2, 1987; Brett Perriman Rd 2, 1988 Wes Carroll, rd 2, 1991; Dante Stallworth rd 1, 2002; Devery Henderson rd 2, 2004; Robert Meacham, rd 1 2007)
<!--[if !supportLists]-->Don’t ever reach for a quarterback - get free agents instead. Remember Dave Wilson rd 1 supp, 1981 (cost a first rounder); Richard Todd 1984 (trade cost a first rounder); Steve Walsh (trade cost three high picks and set the team back years). In contrast our more productive QBs Bobby Hebert and Drew Brees came on freebies.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->Scared of the first-round bust curse? Then pick an offensive lineman. Just about the only thing you can rely on the Saints to do well on draft day is taking good blocker with early round picks. The great and good include: Stan Brock T rd 1 1980; Brad Edelman G rd 2 1982; Steve Korte G rd 2 1983; Jim Dumbrowski T rd1 1986; Willie Roaf T rd 1 1993; Chris Naeole G rd 1 1997; Kyle Turley T rd 1 1998; John Stinchcomb T Rd 2 2003; Jammal Brown T Rd 1 2005. The only guy not to have any real impact was second rounder Daren Gilbert, and he still played as a backup for four years.
<!--[if !supportLists]--><!--[endif]-->Guaranteed recipe for a first-round disaster. Take a DT in round 1. We’ve done it twice: Shawn Knight in 1987 – hardly played a down. John Sullivan in 2003 – most people wish he’d played even less than Knight.
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Want an impact linebacker, then practice by waiting for a bus. That wait you’ll get used to waiting for a lifetime before four come a long almost at once! Mills, Johnson, Swilling, Del Rio in two years – then 20 years pass and nothing….
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Never draft a defensive back, especially a corner. The last high-quality good corner we drafted (who stayed healthy and played more two good seasons) was probably Dave Waymer rd 2 1980. I still had hair back then!
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Never draft a kicker in round one! I guess this should be obvious and that someone on our FO team just sneezed during the 1979 selection and we ended up with Erxleben.
Here’s what I discovered – hope you enjoy it….
<!--[if !supportLists]-->
Don’t draft receivers in the first two rounds. Take one in the seventh round instead! The best two receivers in Saints history (sorry Joe Horn fans) are Eric Martin and Marques Colston, both were taken in round 7. When we grab a receiver early we normally end up disappointed. (Lindsay Scott, rd 1 1982; Lonzell Hill Rd 2, 1987; Brett Perriman Rd 2, 1988 Wes Carroll, rd 2, 1991; Dante Stallworth rd 1, 2002; Devery Henderson rd 2, 2004; Robert Meacham, rd 1 2007)
<!--[if !supportLists]-->Don’t ever reach for a quarterback - get free agents instead. Remember Dave Wilson rd 1 supp, 1981 (cost a first rounder); Richard Todd 1984 (trade cost a first rounder); Steve Walsh (trade cost three high picks and set the team back years). In contrast our more productive QBs Bobby Hebert and Drew Brees came on freebies.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->Scared of the first-round bust curse? Then pick an offensive lineman. Just about the only thing you can rely on the Saints to do well on draft day is taking good blocker with early round picks. The great and good include: Stan Brock T rd 1 1980; Brad Edelman G rd 2 1982; Steve Korte G rd 2 1983; Jim Dumbrowski T rd1 1986; Willie Roaf T rd 1 1993; Chris Naeole G rd 1 1997; Kyle Turley T rd 1 1998; John Stinchcomb T Rd 2 2003; Jammal Brown T Rd 1 2005. The only guy not to have any real impact was second rounder Daren Gilbert, and he still played as a backup for four years.
<!--[if !supportLists]--><!--[endif]-->Guaranteed recipe for a first-round disaster. Take a DT in round 1. We’ve done it twice: Shawn Knight in 1987 – hardly played a down. John Sullivan in 2003 – most people wish he’d played even less than Knight.
<!--[if !supportLists]-->
Want an impact linebacker, then practice by waiting for a bus. That wait you’ll get used to waiting for a lifetime before four come a long almost at once! Mills, Johnson, Swilling, Del Rio in two years – then 20 years pass and nothing….
<!--[if !supportLists]-->
Never draft a defensive back, especially a corner. The last high-quality good corner we drafted (who stayed healthy and played more two good seasons) was probably Dave Waymer rd 2 1980. I still had hair back then!
<!--[if !supportLists]-->
Never draft a kicker in round one! I guess this should be obvious and that someone on our FO team just sneezed during the 1979 selection and we ended up with Erxleben.
...I also believe we've drafted some decent RB's during our time
