Before 1981, no NFL team had given up more than a fourth-round pick in the supplemental draft. The New Orleans Saints changed that by selecting Illinois quarterback Dave Wilson with the first overall pick in that year's supplemental draft. Let's look back on that questionable decision as we countdown to the Saints kickoff which is 18 days away.
The Saints would end up losing a first-round pick in the 1982 draft by selecting Wilson so high. Although then head coach Bum Phillips said that he felt the pick was worth it. "We have added a top quarterback to our roster," Phillips said to the media.
The supplemental draft was established in 1977 as an option for draft-eligible players who did not enter the regular NFL Draft. When a team selects a player in the supplemental draft, it must forfeit its pick in that round in the subsequent NFL Draft. Since 2019, the NFL has not held the supplemental draft, which typically takes place in the summer after the regular draft.
Dave Wilson would not be the Saints' next franchise quarterback
Wilson was expected to be Archie Manning's heir apparent. However, during a preseason matchup against the Houston Oilers in 1982, he would tear a ligament in his left knee, ending his season and permanently changing his career.
After recovering, Wilson never showed any of the talent or processing that justified using a supplemental first-rounder. He would end up spending nine years in the NFL, all in the black and gold, before retiring in 1989.
Becoming a career backup quarterback, Wilson would only start 31 games, resulting in a 12-19 record, but he would appear in 53. He would complete 551 passes for 6,987 yards, 36 touchdowns, and 55 interceptions through all 53 of his appearances. Briefly backing up Ken "The Snake" Stabler and Richard Todd, Wilson would spend most of his career serving as The Cajun Cannon's (Bobby Hebert) backup.