The 20 best wide receivers in the history of the New Orleans Saints

The New Orleans Saints are a relatively young franchise, joining the NFL in 1967. However, the team already has quite a bit of history. New Orleans has had some all-time great quarterbacks, elite defenses, and a storied history of running backs. The franchise even won a Super Bowl during its years of existence.

Another position group where the Saints have had some quality players is the wide receiver position. Throughout the years, New Orleans has seen some of its guys dominate the league at receiver. However, the franchise isn’t deep, historically, at the wide receiver position. The team’s all-time wide receiver ranking is a bit top heavy, but that does give young receivers the opportunity to cement themselves in franchise history.

Criteria

As far as this ranking goes, the criteria is simple. It’s all about what wideouts did in a Saints uniform— not before coming to New Orleans and not after. The receivers don’t even have to be drafted by the Saints; they just need production for the franchise.

20. Bob Newland

Tenure: 1971-1974

Bob Newland was a receiver for the team in the early days of the franchise, playing four seasons with the Saints from 1971 to 1974. Drafted in the seventh round of the 1971 NFL Draft, the same year New Orleans took Archie Manning second overall, Newland helped Manning transition to the league.

In his four seasons with the team, he caught 124 passes for 1,877 yards and eight touchdowns.

19. Floyd Turner

Tenure: 1989-1993

Floyd Turner was drafted by New Orleans in the sixth round of the 1989 Draft and immediately became a contributor for the team. As a rookie, Turner caught 22 passes for 279 yards and one touchdown. He would improve his numbers each season until his fourth year when he was limited just to two games.

In five years with the Saints, Turner caught a total of 124 passes for 1,808 yards and 14 touchdowns.

18. Willie Snead IV

Tenure: 2015-2017

Willie Snead IV has bounced around to a lot of teams in recent years, but his first NFL action came with the Saints. Going undrafted in 2014, Snead spent training camp with the Cleveland Browns, and was on the Carolina Panthers practice squad early in the season. By December, Snead was in New Orleans, and his career was just getting started.

He didn’t get his first snap until 2015, however, he had the best season of his career. Snead caught 69 passes for 984 yards and three touchdowns. Playing two more seasons with the Saints, he finished his time in New Orleans with 149 catches for 1,971 yards and seven touchdowns.

17. Jeff Groth

Tenure: 1981-1985

Jeff Groth didn’t start his career in New Orleans; he was actually drafted by the Miami Dolphins. By his third season, he was playing with his third team, the Saints. That’s where Groth was able to find his footing and some consistency, staying with the team for five seasons.

In those five years, Groth caught 147 passes for 2,073 yards and five touchdowns.

16. Torrance Small

Tenure: 1992-1996

The Saints selected Torrance Small with a fifth-round pick in the 1992 NFL Draft. Playing in New Orleans during the Jim Mora era, Small remained with the Saints for five seasons before moving on to play five more years in the league with four other franchises.

In New Orleans, Small caught 176 passes for 2,180 yards and 16 touchdowns. Unfortunately for the Saints, Small was even more productive in the second half of his career, but the team can’t really complain since he did produce while with the franchise.

15. Chris Olave

Tenure: 2022-Present

Believe it or not, Chris Olave is already a top-15 receiver in Saints history. After just two seasons with the team, the young wideout is quickly climbing up the franchise’s record books. Olave currently has 159 receptions for 2,165 yards and nine touchdowns.

His 2,165 receiving yards is already 16th in franchise history amongst receivers. That shows the lack of historical depth for New Orleans, and also the opportunity Olave has to establish himself as a franchise great.

14. Dave Parks

Tenure: 1968-1972

Dave Parks started his career with the San Francisco 49ers where he was absolutely elite. He made the Pro Bowl in each of his first three seasons, and in year two, he led the league in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns.

After four seasons with the 49ers, Parks made his way to New Orleans for five years. While he wasn’t the dominant receiver he was in San Francisco, he was still pretty good. Parks played 63 games for the Saints, catching 149 passes for 2,254 yards and 16 touchdowns.

13. Michael Haynes

Tenure: 1994-1996

Michael Haynes spent seven years with the rival Atlanta Falcons, but his tenure in Atlanta was interrupted by three seasons with the Saints. Playing in 48 games with the team from 1994 to 1996, Haynes recorded 162 receptions for 2,368 yards and 13 touchdowns.

12. Robert Meachem

Tenure: 2008-2011 and 2013-2014

Robert Meachem was drafted in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft by the Saints during the Drew Brees and Sean Payton era. Unfortunately, a knee injury kept him out his rookie season. He was able to get on track in year two, though, cementing himself as a contributor.

Meachem had two different stints with the team, playing a total of 88 games over six seasons in New Orleans. In those games, he amassed 164 receptions for 2,707 yards and 25 touchdowns. Meachem was also a part of the team that won Super Bowl 44.

11. Wes Chandler

Tenure: 1978-1981

Wes Chandler was drafted by New Orleans in the first round of the 1978 Draft, and while he only played three full seasons for the team, he’s the first name of the list with a Pro Bowl appearance with the Saints. That happened in his second season when he caught 65 passes for 1,069 yards and six touchdowns.

In 52 total games for the franchise, Chandler recorded 182 receptions for 2,801 yards and 15 touchdowns.

10. Donte’ Stallworth

Tenure: 2002-2005

Donte’ Stallworth was selected with the 13th-overall pick of the 2002 NFL Draft, and he quickly proved why, catching 42 receptions for 594 yards and eight touchdowns as a rookie. In three more seasons with the team, Stallworth added to those numbers, finishing his Saints tenure with 195 receptions for 2,791 yards and 23 touchdowns.

9. Brandin Cooks

Tenure: 2014-2016

Brandin Cooks, who’s seemingly making his way all around the NFL, started his career with New Orleans, being selected by the team in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft. Before becoming the most-traded player in NFL History, Cooks played 42 games in three seasons with the Saints.

In those games, he caught 215 passes for 2,861 yards and 20 touchdowns. However, after a productive third season, when Cooks recorded 1,173 receiving yards, he was included in a trade that helped New Orleans land Ryan Ramczyk.

8. Quinn Early

Tenure: 1991-1995

Quinn Early started his career with the San Diego Chargers, playing with them for three seasons before joining the New Orleans Saints. In New Orleans, Early played in 79 games over five seasons. Throughout those years, the wide receiver caught 270 passes for 3,758 yards and 25 touchdowns.

7. Devery Henderson

Tenure: 2004-2012

Devery Henderson was with the franchise during an important era. Selected in the second round of the 2004 Draft, he spent his entire nine-year career with New Orleans. With the Saints, Henderson was a big-play receiver, leading the league in yards per catch in two seasons: 2006 (23.3) and 2008 (24.8).

He finished his career with 245 total catches for 4,377 yards and 20 touchdowns. The highlight of his career was helping the team win Super 44 during the 2009 season.

6. Lance Moore

Tenure: 2006-2013

Lance Moore played alongside Henderson, joining New Orleans as an undrafted free agent. Despite that status, Moore had eight years on the Saints as a contributing receiver. One of those years was 2009, when the franchise won its lone Super Bowl.

Moore finished his New Orleans career with 346 receptions for 4,281 yards and 38 touchdowns.

5. Danny Abramowicz

Tenure: 1967-1973

Danny Abramowicz was one of the original draft picks in franchise history, selected in the 17th round of the 1967 NFL Draft. He went on to become an elite receiver with the team, spending six full seasons in New Orleans.

While with the Saints, Abramowicz caught 309 passes for 4,875 yards and 37 touchdowns, and also led the league with 73 receptions in 1969. He made First-Team All-Pro that season as well.

4. Eric Martin

Tenure: 1985-1993

Eric Martin was a seventh-round selection for the Saints in 1985 but he put together a career that surpassed all expectations. He got things started with a 35-catch, 522-yard, and four-touchdown rookie season, and only improved from there.

By the time his career in New Orleans was done, Martin had played 143 games over nine seasons, catching 532 passes for 7,854 yards and 48 touchdowns. He also picked up a Pro Bowl appearance, and left the Saints with the most receiving yards in franchise history.

3. Michael Thomas

Tenure: 2016-2023

Peak for peak, Michael Thomas is undoubtedly the best receiver in franchise history. After being selected in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft, he took the league by storm in his first four seasons.

In four years, Thomas had four 1,100+ yard seasons, three 100+ catch seasons, two reception leader titles, one receiving yards title, three Pro Bowls, two First-Team All-Pros, and an Offensive Player of the Year. Thomas was breaking record after record as he looked set to be one of the greatest receivers ever.

Unfortunately, injuries led to Thomas playing only 20 games over his last four seasons. Still, in eight years and 83 games with the Saints, he put up 565 catches for 6,569 yards and 36 touchdowns.

2. Joe Horn

Tenure: 2000-2006

Joe Horn has one of the most famous touchdown celebrations in NFL history, pulling a cellphone out from under the goalposts and making a call. While that may be his most famous touchdown, he had plenty of house calls during his seven seasons with the Saints.

Drafted in the fifth round of the 1996 Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs, Horn made his way to New Orleans for his fifth season. While with the Saints, he played in 102 games, catching 523 passes for 7,622 yards and 50 touchdowns. Horn also went to four Pro Bowls during his time in New Orleans.

1. Marques Colston

Tenure: 2006-2015

Joe Horn’s final season with the Saints was 2006. That was Marques Colston’s first year with the team, and it was definitely a passing of the torch. Selected in the seventh round of the 2006 NFL Draft, no one saw coming what Colston had in store.

He immediately put the league on notice, catching 70 passes for 1,038 yards and eight touchdowns as a rookie. That was just the start of 711 catches for 9,759 yards and 72 touchdowns in 146 games over 10 seasons.

Colston was the guy often on the receiving end of Drew Brees’ passes. Despite all the numbers the two put up together, Colston didn’t have a single Pro Bowl appearance or All-Pro selection. However, he did retire with the most receiving yards in franchise history, and is also the best receiver in team history.

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