Archie Manning -- 1971 (No. 2 overall)

When examining the Saints' painful drafting history, it'd be too easy to simply throw another first-round disaster at the end of this list (i.e. Les Kelley, Shawn Knight, Alvin Toles, etc.), so instead I picked Manning. Why would I besmirch the Manning name like this you ask? The Saints had many, many needs in 1971, and quarterback was among them. While Manning was a great athlete in college, he wasn't exactly a "can't-miss" prospect. And while the 1971 draft wasn't loaded with quarterback talent, there were a number of other options to be had in later rounds such as Lynn Dickey or Ken Anderson (both of whom posted better numbers than Manning). Now, you could argue Manning was on an inferior team, but in reality, he might have just been an inferior quarterback who should not have been drafted second overall. The Saints could have chosen an offensive lineman to protect a later-round quarterback project, or even bruising Hall of Famer John Riggins to make any quarterback's job easier. Since he never lived up to his high draft selection, and never posted elite stats, Manning lands on the list as one of the Saints' worst picks of all time, but not necessarily a bust.

» 1971 NFL Draft