Bleacher Report's Matt Holder decided to open up old wounds and dive into who he thinks is the worst draft pick for each NFL team over the past five years. For the Saints, it was former defensive end Payton Turner.
In the 2021 draft, the Saints selected Turner with the 28th overall pick. Holder argues that the Saints should have instead selected defensive end Gregory Rousseau, who the Buffalo Bills selected just two picks later.
Payton Turner and Gregory Rousseau since 2021
Turner has dealt with a multitude of injuries since day one (a shoulder injury and calf strain in 2021, chest strain and low-ankle sprain in 2022, turf toe in 2023, and a knee injury in 2024), leading him to play in only 31 games over the past four seasons. In that short time played, Turner has gathered only 50 total tackles, five sacks, four passes defended, and two forced fumbles.
Compared to Gregory Rousseau, those stats from the Houston native are practically nothing, making it no wonder that B/R would think this way. Rousseau has become an important part of Buffalo's defensive line since 2021, having played twice as many games as Turner (62) and accumulating 182 tackles, 25 sacks, 15 passes defended, six forced fumbles, and one interception.
Following the 2024 season, it became clear that Turner and the Saints would be parting ways—partly because of a mysterious post to his Instagram story. Currently, he is on a one-year, $3 million deal with $1.4 million guaranteed with the Dallas Cowboys.
Rousseau has had a completely opposite experience with the team that drafted him. This past March, he and the Bills actually agreed on a four-year extension of $80 million with $54 million guaranteed. "I couldn't be happier to be back here in Buffalo," He said after inking the deal. "It's been a special place ever since they picked me in 2021."