Jim Mashek  

Saints' Draft history riddled with good, bad

The New Orleans Saints own the 10th pick of Saturday's NFL Draft, and their choice will set the tone for what has been a mixed bag for years.

It's too early to say whether Reggie Bush, the second player chosen in the 2006 Draft, will be a boon or a bust. Year Three will go a long way in deciding that trend.

Last year's first-round pick, Tennessee wideout Robert Meacham, never dressed out for a single game as a rookie, so the tarot cards clearly are not in his favor.

Anyway, here's one man's choices for the 10 best first-round picks in Saints history, followed by a more difficult list to put together - simply because of sheer volume - the 10 worst. Let the debate begin.

10. Jim Dombrowski, 6th pick, 1986 - Drafted as a tackle but became a fixture at left guard. Tough player. Solid citizen. 9. Stan Brock, 12th pick, 1980 - Steady contributor at right tackle. Too many holding penalties, but longevity counts. Spent 13 years with club. Now the head coach at Army.

8. Mark Fields, 13th pick, 1995 - Fast outside linebacker who played for four head coaches - Jim Mora, Rick Venturi, Mike Ditka and Jim Haslett - in his six seasons with team. Part of breakthrough squad in 2000 that won Saints' first playoff game.

7. Jammal Brown, 13th pick, 2005 - Has shown he can play right or left offensive tackle. Serious mean streak. Has a scowl reminiscent of baseball's Jeff "Penitentiary Face" Leonard.

6. Wayne Martin, 19th pick, 1989 - Defensive lineman who played the run exceptionally well. Also registered 82½ career sacks, most for a Saints lineman. Played through injuries.

5. Archie Manning, 2nd pick, 1971 - As the late Hank Stram put it, Archie was a "franchise quarterback without a franchise." He was the club's goodwill ambassador when the Saints truly needed one.

4. George Rogers, 1st pick, 1981 - A productive player, absolutely. Probably carried the ball too much in Bum Phillips' ultra-conventional offense. Rushed for 4,267 yards in just four seasons before being traded to the Washington Redskins.

3. Will Smith, 18th pick, 2004 - Smart, aggressive defensive end who will play in several Pro Bowls before his career is over.

2. Deuce McAllister, 23rd pick, 2001 - The Saints' all-time rushing leader, his value in part measured because he went so late in the first round. Unlike Ricky Williams, he's from the same planet as the rest of us. A class act, we'll see how he responds to reconstructive surgery to both knees.

1. Willie Roaf, 8th pick, 1993 - The late Jim Finks' final coup before his illness sidelined him. Acquired the selection from the Detroit Lions for one-dimensional defender Pat Swilling. Roaf was the real deal at left tackle for nine years in New Orleans. Will join Finks in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Jim Mashek can be reached at 896-2333 or jwmashek@sunherald.com