The 10 biggest what-ifs in New Orleans Saints history

5. What if Reggie Bush was a transcendent star?

In the 2006 NFL Draft, the New Orleans Saints found themselves in an unexpected spot. With the second overall pick, they weren't supposed to have a shot at Reggie Bush, the USC product who was an absolute game-changer during his collegiate days.

The consensus No. 1 pick was believed to be headed to the Houston Texans but they threw a curveball when they took defensive end Mario Williams. The Saints then pounced and took Bush, who was supposed to be the centerpiece of the offense for rookie head coach Sean Payton.

That never happened as Bush proved to be a bit of a bust. That's not to say he was a bad player, but his stats were nothing close to what was expected given his performance for the Trojans.

Bush started out slow as a runner, averaging fewer than four yards per attempt going for 3.6 as a rookie followed by 3.7 and 3.8 in the years that followed. He was a solid receiver with 88 receptions for 742 yards as a rookie — but was still never the player he was supposed to be.

In five seasons with the Saints, Bush had 2,090 yards on the ground while averaging exactly four yards per attempt. He added 294 receptions for 2,142 yards and had 29 total touchdowns.

With Drew Brees turning into a Hall of Fame quarterback, it's fair to wonder what this team could have done if Bush lived up to expectations. They did win one Super Bowl with him, but they might have racked up at least one more if he was the transcendent star he was pegged to be.