Number one draft bust in Saints history: Russell Erxleben - K/P (1979)
The Saints decision to draft Russell Erxleben eleventh overall in the 1979 NFL Draft has to be number one. Why? They drafted him as a kicker that's why.
Actually in all fairness, they drafted him to hopefully play both kicker and punter (which he did as a three-time All-American at the University of Texas) so they could save both money and a roster spot, which makes this all the more hilarious
To add to the hilarity, Erxleben couldn't win the starting job as a kicker, so he was solely the team's punter until 1983. That's right, the Saints essentially drafted a punter just outside the top-ten of the NFL Draft in 1979, and a wildly average-to-mediocre one at that.
After his career in football ended, he would go on to become a currency investor, and proceed to be convicted twice for fraud, and serve time in federal prison, because how else is this story going to end.
The New Orleans Saints have a big draft on the horizon, and need to get it right, to take advantage of both a weak division and weak conference. If they do that, then this list would not need to be updated at all, which is an added cherry on top