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Saints 1st Round Draft History at Wide Receiver

Many expect New Orleans to select a wide receiver with one of their first-round choices in the 2022 NFL Draft.  It's something the Saints have done only seven other times in their 55-year history.  Here's a look at how successful they were with those picks.

Bob Rose

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The New Orleans Saints currently own two picks in the first round of this month's 2022 NFL Draft. New Orleans will look to fill several needs with a total of seven draft choices. Wide receiver, offensive tackle, defensive tackle, and quarterback are the positions that most projections predict that the Saints will fill with their first round selections.

Count me among the many who believe that New Orleans needs to take a wideout with their first pick. Ohio State's Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson, Alabama's Jameson Williams, Treylon Burks of Arkansas, and Jahan Dotson of Penn State head a deep class of receiving talent.

The Saints have used a first-round pick on a wide receiver seven times in their 55-year franchise history. Here’s a look at those selections and how they fared with New Orleans.

1970 - KEN BURROUGH

(Texas Southern)

Former Saints WR Ken Burrough (00). Credit: crescentcitysports.com

Burrough was the 10th overall selection and first receiver picked in the 1970 NFL Draft. He battled nagging injuries throughout much of his rookie campaign and caught just 13 passes for 196 yards and 2 scores in 12 games.

Burrough was traded to the Houston Oilers after just one season. The Saints got four backup players and a late-round draft choice in return. Burrough went on to have a standout 11-year career with the Oilers.

Burrough made the Pro Bowl in 1975 with Houston, leading the league with 1,063 yards receiving. He had six seasons of at least 600 yards for the Oilers, including three of over 800 yards.

In 11 years with Houston, Burrough had 408 receptions for 6,906 yards and 47 touchdowns. He’s third among the Oilers/Tennessee Titans all-time leaders in receiving yardage and second in touchdown receptions.

Ken Burrough passed away in February at 73. He is the only player in Saints franchise history to wear number 00.

1975 -LARRY BURTON

(Purdue)

Former Saints WR Larry Burton (20). Credit: neworleanssaints.com

Burton was an All-American receiver and also a world class sprinter at Purdue. He held the world record in the 60-yard dash for a time and finished 4th in the 200m at the 1972 Summer Olympics. He was the first receiver selected and the seventh overall pick in the 1975 NFL Draft.

Burton played just three seasons for New Orleans. He caught 35 passes for 615 yards and 4 touchdowns in that span. His best season came as a rookie, when he had 16 receptions for 305 yards and 2 scores. He played his last two seasons with the San Diego Chargers.

Larry Burton's grandson, Trey Burton, was an NFL tight end for seven seasons between 2014 and 2020.

1978 - WES CHANDLER

(Florida)

Former Saints WR Wes Chandler (89). Credit: nosaintshistory.com

A two-time All-American for the Gators, Chandler was the first receiver chosen and the 3rd overall pick of the 1978 NFL Draft. He caught 35 passes for 472 yards and was one of the NFL's best kick returners as a rookie.

In 1979, Chandler turned in just the second 1,000-yard receiving season in Saints franchise history. Chandler earned a Pro Bowl trip with 65 receptions for 1,069 yards and 8 touchdowns. He had an equally successful year in 1980 for a 1-15 New Orleans squad, catching 65 passes for 975 yards and six scores.

Chandler was shockingly traded to the San Diego Chargers four games into the 1981 season. Over seven years with the Chargers, he went to three Pro Bowls, had two 1,000-yard campaigns, and had at least 700 yards in six seasons.

Chandler was the NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 1982 for the Chargers. He led the league with 1,032 yards receiving and 9 scores in only eight games of a strike-shortened season.

In three years with New Orleans, Chandler caught 182 passes for 2,801 yards and 15 touchdowns. The Saints then sat and watched as Chandler excelled for the explosive ‘‘Air Coryell'' attack in San Diego.

1982 - LINDSAY SCOTT

(Georgia)

Dec 12, 1982; FILE PHOTO; New Orleans Saints receiver Lindsay Scott (80) in action against the Atlanta Falcons. Mandatory Credit: Manny Rubio-USA TODAY Sports

A productive collegiate career propelled Scott to the 13th overall pick and the second wideout chosen in 1982. Despite catching only 17 balls for 251 yards during the strike-shortened year, Scott was chosen to the 1982 All-Rookie Team.

Scott's career-high of only 24 receptions came in 1983. His career best of 278 yards occurred in 1984. He started only 22 games before being out of the league by 1986.

Lindsay Scott is considered one of the biggest first-round busts in franchise history. In four years with the team, he had only 69 receptions for 864 yards and one touchdown. It would be another 20 years before New Orleans spent another first-round pick on a wide receiver.

2002 - DONTE' STALLWORTH

(Tennessee)

September 11, 2005; New Orleans Saints Donte Stallworth with a reception against the Carolina Panthers. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports Copyright © 2005 Bob Donnan

A terrific career at Tennessee made Stallworth the first wideout picked and 13th overall selection in 2002. He’d pull in 42 passes for 594 yards and a team-high 8 touchdowns in his first year, earning a spot on the 2002 All-Rookie Team.

During his time with the Saints, Stallworth was an explosive complement to Pro Bowl WR Joe Horn for four years. In those four seasons, he had 195 receptions for 2,791 yards and 23 touchdowns.

Stallworth would have the best year of his ten-year NFL career in 2005, when he led the Saints with 70 receptions for 945 yards and 7 scores.

Rookie seventh-round WR Marques Colston outplayed Stallworth during the team’s 2006 training camp. New Orleans traded the receiver to Philadelphia, and he’d play for five different teams over his remaining six seasons.

2007 - ROBERT MEACHEM

(Tennessee)

Dec 13, 2009; New Orleans Saints receiver Robert Meachem catches a pass behind Falcons cornerback Chris Owens. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

After 71 catches for 1,298 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2006 for the Volunteers, the Saints took Meachem with the 27th overall pick in 2007. A knee injury would sideline him for his entire rookie season. He’d catch just 12 passes for 289 yards in 2008, but three of those resulted in touchdowns.

Meachem developed into a deadly deep threat for a New Orleans offense that was the best in the NFL. He’d turn in the best season of his career during the Saints Super Bowl championship season of 2009, pulling in 45 receptions for 722 yards and scoring 10 touchdowns.

After three straight years of over 600 yards receiving with the Saints, Meachem signed with the San Diego Chargers as a free agent in 2012. He’d return to New Orleans a year later to play out the last two seasons of his career.

In six seasons with the Saints, Meachem had 164 receptions for 2,707 yards and 25 touchdowns. He’s tied with Quinn Early for 10th in franchise history for touchdown receptions.

2014 - BRANDIN COOKS

(Oregon State)

Dec 21, 2015; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Brandin Cooks (10) makes a touchdown catch past Lions cornerback Nevin Lawson (24). Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

Cooks had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons for the Beavers, including 1,730 yards and 16 touchdowns on 128 receptions in 2013. The Saints traded up to take him with the 20th overall selection in the 2014 NFL Draft.

Injuries limited Cooks to only 10 games as a rookie, but he still displayed explosive potential with 53 catches for 553 yards and 3 scores. Cooks led the Saints with 84 receptions for 1,138 yards and 9 touchdowns in 2015.

Cooks followed up 2015 with 78 catches for a team-high 1,173 yards and 8 scores in 2016. He became just the fourth player in franchise history with consecutive 1,000-yard receiving campaigns.

Unhappy with his role in the offense, Cooks was traded to the New England Patriots after the 2016 for a first-round draft pick.

Since leaving the Saints, Cooks has played for three different teams in five seasons. In those five years, Cooks has surpassed 1,000 yards receiving four times and has at least 80 receptions three times. During three years with the Saints, Cooks had 215 receptions for 2,861 yards and 21 touchdowns.

If you're looking for first-round draft traits, four of the Saints seven wideouts picked in the first round played in the SEC.

Jameson Williams (Alabama) and Treylon Burks (Arkansas) are probable opening round selections and also played in the SEC. Georgia's George Pickens is another SEC prospect that's projected to go in the second round, but could be a surprise first-round pick.

The 2022 NFL Draft will be held April 28-30 in Las Vegas. 

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Bob Rose
BOB ROSE

Covers the New Orleans Saints as a senior writer for the Saints News Network.  Co-Host of the Bayou Blitz Podcast.