Sports

The New Orleans Saints' 5 Worst Draft Picks in the Last 10 Years

By HC Green Lindys Sports

Updated July 3, 2026 6:14 AM

Drafting is an inexact science. Even the best of the best miss for any number of reasons-injuries, poor scheme fit, off-the-field issues, lack of development, and so on. With the 2026 NFL Draft now in the rearview mirror, things should be quiet on the personnel side until training camps open in July.

With that in mind, it seems like the perfect time to go back over the last 10 drafts to identify picks which didn't pan out for each of the 32 clubs. Before we begin, let's set the ground rules: We're starting with the 2016 draft, so no players from the 2026 draft are eligible.

Now that we've established the parameters, here are the New Orleans Saints' five worst draft picks of the past decade:

Dishonorable Mentions

WR Tre'Quan Smith (91st Overall, 2018)
QB Ian Book (133rd Overall, 2021)

5) RB Kendre Miller, 71st Overall (2023)

Miller was selected to help ease Alvin Kamara's workload. Injuries have prevented that from happening. The former third-round pick has appeared in just 21 of 51 possible games in his career and is no lock to make the team in 2026 after tearing his ACL last October.

arena photography — Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

4) DE Marcus Davenport, 14th Overall (2018)

New Orleans traded the 27th pick in 2018 along with a fifth-round selection and a first-round pick the following year (that turned out to be No. 30) to move up and select Davenport. It was a steep price to pay, one Davenport never justified as he dealt with injuries and middling production when healthy. The Saints would've been better served by holding onto their original pick and nabbing Harold Landry or one of several other pass rushers taken after Davenport that have gone on to better careers.

3) OL Trevor Penning, 19th Overall (2022)

The Saints spent a top-20 pick on Penning in hopes that he'd be a long-term solution at tackle. When that didn't pan out, they moved him to guard. New Orleans finally ran out of patience with Penning last season when they flipped him to the Chargers for a sixth-round pick in the 2027 draft.

2) DE Isaiah Foskey, 40th Overall (2023)

Another miss on a defensive lineman, Foskey did virtually nothing in two seasons with the club, totaling just 25 tackles in 27 games in a Saints uniform. Foskey was cut before the 2025 season and signed with Cincinnati's practice squad.

1) DE Payton Turner, 28th Overall (2021)

Injuries have defined Turner's time in the NFL. With the exception of 2024, when he appeared in 16 games, Turner has played in five, eight, two, and zero games in his other four seasons. While Turner hopes to make Detroit's 53-man roster as a long shot this fall, the next two defensive linemen selected, Gregory Rousseau and Odafe Oweh, have already combined for 62.5 sacks in the NFL.

This story was originally published July 3, 2026 at 6:00 AM.