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The Saints Best Draft Choices
By Mike Detillier
With the 2015 NFL draft less than two weeks away I give you my opinion of the best draft choices in the history of the New Orleans Saints based on production and where they were selected. Let's hope the Saints can do a repeat of 1981 or 2006 and hit big come draft day.
1. Willie Roaf - The Saints acquired the 8th overall pick in Round 1 in the 1993 draft after they dealt outside linebacker Pat Swilling to the Detroit Lions. They used that pick on Louisiana Tech offensive tackle Willie Roaf.
Roaf was not just good in a Saints uniform, but he was dominant. The 11-time Pro Bowler was regarded around the NFL as the best left offensive tackle in the league for almost a dozen seasons and he was named to the NFL All-Decade team in the 1990's and 2000's. He stands alongside quarterback Drew Brees as one of the two best players to ever wear the Black and Gold. He was inducted into Pro Football's Hall of Fame in 2012.
2. Rickey Jackson - "City Champ" was overshadowed in college by his Pittsburgh Panther teammate Hugh Green. In the NFL the spotlight went more to Lawrence Taylor in New York with the Giants than to the Saints outside linebacker, but there was not a more complete player at his position than Jackson in the 1980’s and 1990’s.
The leader of the "Dome Patrol" defense was a 6-time Pro Bowler. He registered 128 career quarterback sacks, had 10 or more sacks in 6 different seasons and he recovered 28 fumbles. The 2nd round pick of the Saints in 1981 was just a magnet to the football against the run and as a pass rusher, and there was not a tougher guy out on the field than Jackson. He was inducted into Pro Football's Hall of Fame in 2010. He was the first "real" New Orleans Saints football talent to make it to Canton.
3. Morten Anderson - I have always said that in my 27 years covering the NFL Morten Anderson was the best placekicker I have ever seen and one of the two best kickers all time along with Jan Stenerud, who is in the NFL Hall of Fame.
Bum Phillips selected Anderson in the 4th round of the 1982 draft with the 86th overall selection. Anderson became the best kicker in the NFL in his timeframe and he made the NFL All-Decade team for the 1980's and 1990's.
“The Great Dane” is the all-time leading scorer for both the New Orleans Saints and the Atlanta Falcons. In 13 seasons with the Saints Anderson made the Pro Bowl 6 times and he is the NFL career record holder in games played with 382 and the most career points with 2,544.
With everything on the line there was not a better feeling than knowing Morten Anderson was on the field to make that game winning kick. He had ice water rolling through his veins and he was a money performer with the game in balance. I've got a feeling next season Morten Anderson is voted into the NFL Hall of Fame.
4. Jimmy Graham - In the 2010 NFL draft the Saints selected a player in Round 3 that had only played one year of college football. Jimmy Graham was a solid college basketball performer who played one year for the Hurricane football program, but the Saints were sold on his football potential due to his great size, his upper-tier athletic traits and sure hands.
Graham quickly developed into one of the league's elite tight ends and he made it to 3 Pro-Bowls. He has caught more passes (386) and recorded more receiving yards (4,752) than any other tight end to start a NFL career. Only New England's Rob Gronkowski with 54 touchdowns has more touchdown catches at tight than Graham's 51 to start a career. The Saints dealt Graham away this off-season to the Seattle Seahawks, but he has to go down as one of the most dominating offensive players to ever play for New Orleans.
5. Marques Colston - There has never been a more bang for the buck draft choice than the former 7th round pick (252nd overall) in 2006. The former Hofstra standout didn't overwhelm you early on in training camp that season, but he has been the one constant threat downfield in the Drew Brees/Sean Payton era.
The 6-4 1/2, 225 pound wideout owns basically every top receiving record with the team and he has caught 666 passes for 9,239 yards and 68 touchdowns during his nine years with the team. While he was never nationally regarded as one of the top ends in pro football he was the focal point of Sean Payton's "size" mismatch theory of throwing the ball downfield.
6. Jahri Evans - Evans was a standout college offensive tackle at tiny Bloomsburg State and was considered a bit of a project NFL player, but that was not the case. Evans started all 16 games his rookie season with the Saints and he developed into a 6-time Pro Bowl performer.
The 6-4, 320 pounder goes down as the best offensive guard to ever wear the Black and Gold. Evans, who was a 4th round pick in the 2006 draft and the 108th overall player selected, has been regarded as one of the NFL's elite offensive guards since entering the league.
It's hard to believe that Colston and Evans are now both entering their tenth season in the NFL.
7. Danny Abramowicz - What can you say about a guy who was picked in the 17th round of the 1967 draft and his head coach, NFL Hall of Fame wide receiver Tom Fears, wanted to cut him in training camp.
The 420th overall pick in 1967 from Xavier (Ohio) caught 369 passes for 5,686 yards and 39 touchdowns in 8 seasons, with 6 full seasons with the Saints.
During his NFL career he caught at least one pass in 105 consecutive games and what is amazing was that Abramowicz was so productive on an expansion club with revolving parts offensively.
For production and where he was picked, Danny A. was something special.
8. Eric Martin - Martin, a former LSU halfback turned wide receiver, was considered to be too slow to be anything more than a back-up at the NFL level.
While Eric will not be the anchor on a 4x400 meter relay team, he was one of the top possession "big man" receivers in the NFL for 10 seasons.
Martin played 9 seasons with the Saints before finishing out his career with the Kansas City Chiefs, but the 7th round pick and the 179th overall player chosen in the 1985 draft proved to be one of the best draft choices in Saints history.
He caught 553 passes for 8,161 yards and 49 touchdowns during his pro career and we most remember that outstanding pitch and catch combo of Martin and Bobby Hebert in New Orleans during the Jim Mora-era.
9. Archie Manning - I can say I watched Archie at Ole Miss and he was one of the best collegiate football players I have ever seen, but today he is more known as the dad to Eli and Peyton Manning.
In 1971 Archie was selected in Round One and the 2nd overall pick by the New Orleans Saints.
Manning did not set NFL records with the Saints, but he gave this franchise some creditability when they had none in the 1970's and very early 1980's. The Saints did very little personnel-wise to surround Manning with a good supporting cast in the 1970's.
His record as a starter in the NFL is 35-101-3, the worst of any starting quarterback in NFL history with 100 or more starts, but Manning was always the best player on the field with the Saints. From 1971-1982 Manning was the face of the New Orleans Saints franchise and opposing players gave Archie the greatest of respect as a player and competitor.
Manning played in 2 Pro Bowls with the Saints and he was the 1978 NFC Player of the Year.
10. Deuce McAllister - I will always remember sitting in a pre-draft meeting with then-Saints head coach Jim Haslett and him saying, "I hope we get a shot at Deuce McAllister. I doubt he will still be around when we pick, but we are just not sure what will happen with Ricky Williams. We need Deuce."
Haslett got his wish and the Saints picked the Ole Miss star back with the 23rd overall pick in Round One in 2001.
The hard-charging halfback went to 2 Pro Bowls and rushed for 6,096 yards and 49 rushing touchdowns during his pro career. He also caught 234 passes as a receiver coming out of the backfield. Despite having a couple of major knee injuries McAllister was a tremendous force in getting the Saints to their first ever NFC Championship game in 2006.
“Deuce” was a great competitor and player.
11. Jim Wilks - No one who ever wore a New Orleans Saints uniform has made such an impact and with virtually no fanfare like Jim Wilks.
The Saints selected the former San Diego State defensive lineman in Round 12 of the 1981 draft with the 305th overall pick.
All this quiet big man did was start 183 games in 13 seasons and he recorded 45 1/2 quarterback sacks.
Former Saints head coach Bum Phillips said this about Wilks, "Jimmy is one of those players that could play anywhere upfront, end, tackle or on the nose, play them well and you never heard a peep about him. But talk to the guys that played against him and they would tell you he was a damn good player. He made everybody around him look better and that is the greatest compliment you can give a player."
12. Pat Swilling - The Saints selected Georgia Tech outside linebacker Pat Swilling in the 3rd round of the 1986 draft and he ended up teaming with Rickey Jackson to give the Black and Gold one of the all-time best duos at outside linebacker in NFL history.
The 60th overall selection in 1986 played 13 seasons in the NFL with New Orleans, Detroit and Oakland, but he will always be remebered for his 7 signature seasons with the Saints.
Swilling was a 5-time Pro Bowl selection and 4 of them were with the Saints, and in 1991 the speedy edge-rusher was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year after he racked up 17 quarterback sacks.
Swilling ended up with 107 1/2 career quarterback sacks in the NFL.
Who Could be there for the Saints at 31 and 44?
I have written a lot about who might be there for the New Orleans Saints with the 13th overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft and so I will give a look-see at some of the prospects who could be available for the Saints at 31 late in Round One and with Saints 2nd round choice with the 44th overall pick.
Eddie Goldman - Defensive Tackle, Florida State
Goldman has played defensive end, defensive tackle and nose-tackle for the Seminoles. With the Saints starting defensive ends both unsigned for 2016 and question marks about the long term futures of John Jenkins and Broderick Bunkley, Goldman at the nose-tackle spot makes a lot of sense to me if he is available at 31. He is a power player at the point of attack and he is stout in run defense. Solid pass rusher.
Eric Kendricks - Inside Linebacker, UCLA
Eric’s brother, Mychal, plays linebacker for the Philadelphia Eagles. Kendricks is small in stature, but the young man has his radar turned on at all times. He has racked up 481 tackles at UCLA and led the Bruins in tackles three straight seasons. Eric is smart, rarely takes a false step to the ballcarrier and he seemingly is always in the center of the action.
Stephone Anthony - Inside Linebacker, Clemson
Anthony is one of my favorite players in the draft class of 2015. He has totaled 330 tackles and 34 ½ tackles for losses at Clemson, but he was overshadowed due to the pass rush exploits of Vic Beasley. The 6-3, 245 pounder is physical at the point of attack and his read and react skills are at the highest level. For a big man, his lateral foot speed and quickness are outstanding.
Maxx Williams - Tight End, Minnesota
Williams comes from an athletic family. His dad Brian played 11 seasons in the NFL and his uncle Ron played football in NFL Europe. The 6-3 ¾, 250 pound tight end caught 61 passes for 986 yards and 13 TD’s over the past two seasons at Minnesota. He is a terrific athlete, plays the tight end spot like a big wide receiver and he is a “money” performer in third down or redzone spots. Reminds me a lot of Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten when he came out of Tennessee.
Jake Fisher - Offensive Tackle , Oregon
The 6-6, 305 pounder has played right guard, right tackle and left tackle for the Ducks. Technically sound offensive lineman with quick feet and hands and he is a very refined pass protector. Fisher needs to work with the weights to develop more of a “power” game, but I love his passion for the game and he is a tough guy out on the field.
Phillip Dorsett - Wide Receiver, Miami (Fla.)
If you have watched Santana Moss, another former Hurricane wide receiver play in the NFL, Dorsett is very similar. He has great foot speed and quickness and the 5-10, 185 pounder can blow the top off of deep coverage schemes. Last season he averaged 24.2 yards per catch and scored 10 touchdowns. While he is not a real physical end Dorsett is a very good route runner and he is explosive getting into and out of his cuts and breaks. Has also returned kickoffs for the Canes.
Jordan Phillips - Defensive Tackle, Oklahoma
The 6-5, 328 pounder can project to either defensive end or defensive tackle at the pro level. He is a huge man along the defensive line and he has upper level quickness and speed for a big man. He has flashed dominant traits for the Sooners, but there is some concern about his pedestrian play at times and he is coming off of a major back injury.
Dorial Green-Beckham - Wide Receiver, Missouri/Oklahoma
He was the top rated prep player in the nation as a high school senior and he was on the verge of being one of the most dominant receiving threats in college football until a series of off the field incidents got him kicked off the Missouri football team. Beckham has great size, 6-5, 235, a huge pass catching radius and he is a total size mismatch downfield. While he is no speed burner his power after the catch gets him out of a ton of would-be tackles. He is the ultimate boom or bust pick. It is not because of talent, but his off the field incidents are a concern. Very similar to former Chicago Bears and current New York Jets wide receiver Brandon Marshall.
A.J. Cann - Offensive Guard, South Carolina
Cann has been a 4-year starter at left guard for South Carolina and he started 51 games during his college career. The 6-3, 315 pounder reminds me a lot of current Saints offensive guard Jahri Evans. Cann has a great mix of power, speed and second level quickness. Known for his run blocking exploits, A.J. is also a very good pass protector. Just explodes off the snap and he is a 1st rate leverage player.
Jalen Collins -Cornerback, LSU
Collins played Alabama wide receiver Amari Cooper as well as anyone did in 2014 and his size and excellent “press” coverage skills makes him an inviting pick late in Round One. Collins still needs some work with his coverage techniques and foot work, but he has great length and outstanding ball reaction skills. Has a knack for getting his hands on a football at the final moment to break up a potential completion.
Follow Mike on Twitter at @MikeDetillier