The New Orleans Saints have one of the NFL’s worst first-round draft selection histories as they haven’t relied as heavily on first-round draft picks to build their most competitive teams.
However, the team has been able to pick a few players in the first round of the NFL draft who went on to have successful careers.
Here’s a closer look at the top players the Saints have ever selected in the NFL draft’s first round.
Ranking New Orleans Saints’ best first round picks in history
#5. Archie Manning, Quarterback, No. 2 overall, 1971
In recognition of his remarkable career in New Orleans, Archie Manning was inducted into the Saints Hall of Fame in 1988.
Manning was immediately thrown into the Saints’ setup after being chosen in the first round of the 1971 draft. In his breakthrough second year, he started all 14 games and completed 230 passes for 2,781 yards and 18 touchdowns.
Manning appeared in 134 games and finished with 1,849 completed passes for 21,734 yards and 115 touchdowns during his 10 seasons with the Saints. He was selected to two Pro Bowls as well
4. Marshon Lattimore, Cornerback, No. 11 overall, 2017
Marshon Lattimore was selected in the first round of the 2017 NFL draft out of Ohio State. He became the first player in Saints history to win the Defensive Rookie of the Year award after finishing his first campaign with 52 tackles, 18 pass breakups and five interceptions.
As the team’s most decorated cornerback in history and a four-time Pro Bowler, he repeatedly demonstrated during his tenure in New Orleans that he was the team’s best defensive player. He recorded 405 tackles, seven tackles for loss, five fumble recoveries, 88 passes defensed and 15 interceptions in New Orleans.
Lattimore was traded to the Washington Commanders in November, but it is anticipated that he will be inducted into the Saints Hall of Fame upon his retirement.
#3. Deuce McAllister, Running Back, No. 23 overall, 2001
Deuce McAllister, who had only 16 rushes in his rookie season in 2001, was arguably the league’s finest running back in his second season, recording 1,740 total yards and 16 total touchdowns to earn his first of two career Pro Bowl nods.
In 2003, the former Ole Miss running back earned his second Pro Bowl selection with 2,157 yards from scrimmage and eight total touchdowns. He surpassed the 1,000-yard mark twice more in his career, in 2004 and 2006, before a string of injuries severely limited his explosiveness.
Three years following his retirement from the NFL, McAllister was enshrined into the Saints Hall of Fame in 2012.
#2. Willie Roaf, Offensive Tackle, No. 8 overall, 1993
During his nine years with the Saints, Willie Roaf was selected to five All-Pro teams and seven Pro Bowls. He became the first Saints first-round draft pick to be admitted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2012.
Furthermore, only one Saint in history has been named to more Pro Bowls than the star offensive lineman. Roaf, who played 131 games during the regular season and two playoff games for New Orleans, was selected to the 1990s and 2000s All-Decade Teams in honor of being one of the most effective players of his ti
me.
#1. Cameron Jordan, Defensive End, No. 24 overall, 2011
Cameron Jordan has had a career with the New Orleans Saints that is deserving of being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame since being chosen in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He has started 225 games for the Saints since joining the league and has amassed a franchise-high 121.5 sacks
Jordan’s amazing career-high 15.5 sacks in 2019 demonstrated that, in his peak, he was as formidable as any NFL defensive end in the league.
Jordan has been selected to eight Pro Bowls during his career, which is the most in club history for a defensive player. Additionally, he was selected to the Pro Bowl six times in a row from 2017 to 2022, which is second only to quarterback Drew Brees and tackle William Roaf’s seven consecutive selections apiece in the team’s history.
