It’s one thing to look at the Saints draft history under Sean Payton and single out the worst picks in each offseason. Figuring out the best selections is a whole other task. Making these calls generally favored players who were selected later in the draft, but it wasn’t easy. Erik McCoy, a second rounder, or C.J. Gardner-Johnson, a fourth round pick? Alvin Kamara, a third round selection, or Ryan Ramczyk, a first rounder? Carl Nicks or Tracy Porter? Jermon Bushrod or Robert Meachem?
Weaker draft classes like 2018 and 2012 were buoyed by players who either still haven’t met their potential or did so with other teams, like Tre’Quan Smith and Akiem Hicks.