The Saints Don't Draft LSU Players - Debunked (1 Viewer)

[LogeEndZone]

From last year's media guide (so not including 2022 draft):

 

[faceman]

The OP is correct. During the Sean Payton era the Saints have been drafting toward the bottom most years. During
those years the best LSU players were long gone by the time we drafted.

The NFL is a different animal. The very best college teams historically only have a select few who contribute to a
NFL team. Most of those are special teams players.

 

[sfidc3]

Crazy theory: The recent LSU surge is a marketing play to continue selling out season tickets. There's an on field benefit as well, but w/ Brees Retiring, Hill losing the QB1 comp, & Sean Payton Retiring something had to be done to throw SE La football fans a bone to keep them re-upping for Season Tickets, so they came up with a strategy to bring in home grown talent that fans love.

Wouldn't say crazy, from a logic standpoint it's actually plausible but I don't think the Saints personnel office and decision makers work that way.

I think Face is spot on and as for the FA additions, LSU players that were available very much aligned with team needs this year.....

 

[texasjefe]

Good topic to drill into.

There's a 2021 article about all this. 3 Tigers drafted by Saints since 2000. That seems lower than anyone who doesn't follow it would guess, but as OP explained, so much of it is circumstantial, and most likely not an anti-LSU bias.

Saints Draft History: Selecting LSU Tigers

The New Orleans Saints have selected only three LSU Tigers in the NFL Draft since 2000.

www.si.com

List of every LSU Tiger Selected by the New Orleans Saints​

• 1967: DL Earl Leggett, Expansion draft
• 1969: WR Tommy Morel, 11th round, No. 267 overall
• 1975: RB Steve Rogers, 7th round, No. 163 overall
• 1981: RB/FB Hokie Gajan, 10th round, No. 249 overall
• 1985: WR Eric Martin, 7th round, No. 179 overall
• 1986: RB Dalton Hilliard, 2nd round, No. 31 overall
• 1989: DB Michael Mayes, 4th round, No. 106 overall
• 1997: TE Nicky Savoie, 6th round, No. 165 overall
• 2004: WR Devery Henderson, 2nd round, No. 50 overall
• 2010: DT Al Woods, 4th round, No. 123 overall
• 2018: OL Will Clapp, 7th round, No. 245 overall

To fans of the Saints in the 1980's, Hokie Gajan, Eric Martin, and Dalton Hilliard were easily among the most top-loved Saints players of their time. Devery's story, from the hail mary catch against Kentucky, to his early pro years struggling to catch the ball, to his elevation as a dangerous weapon with Payton and Brees is awesome. The reverse TD in the Gleason game is legendary.

Love or hate them, LSU has an undeniable mystique and swagger that first blows you away as a kid. Tigers who are Saints, especially at offensive skill positions, are really fun to root for. And Tyrann will be too.

And yes, the recent signings of Matthieu and Landry are thrilling, enhanced by that spicy LSU swagger.

 

[IceHot]

LSU most years probably has 6-8 players get drafted. Its not really much surprise if Saints do have such few players from that school on thier roster. Most probably only play 3-4 years.

76 in the last 10 drafts and we have taken one of the 76...so I would say its a pretty clear fact that we draft less LSU players than the NFL average.

But to be fair we also only drafted one of the 89 mostly below average NFL draftees Alabama sent to the NFL in the last 10 drafts.

I think the greater point is that LSU isnt really any more special than any other college providing draftees.