New Orleans Saints: 5 best draft picks all-time

When the Saints drafted Danish left-footed kicker Morten Andersen out of Michigan State University with the No. 86 pick in the 1982 NFL Draft, did they have any idea that Andersen would become arguably the greatest placekicker in NFL history?

Andersen starred in the 1980s and 1990s with the Saints (1982-90) and the arch rival Atlanta Falcons (1995-2000) as the game’s all-time leading scorer. He owns 13 NFL records and it has been truly unnerving that Andersen hasn’t yet been enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame as one of the best placekickers in football history.

Andersen is a proud member of the Saints Hall of Fame. He made six of his seven trips to the Pro Bowl and five of his six All-Pro teams playing for the Saints in the 1980s. Before hanging up the spikes in 2007, Andersen connected on 565 of his 709 field goal attempts, made 849 of 859 extra point attempts, and netted an NFL-best 2,544 career points.

While it seems that both special teams and frankly field goal accuracy (.797) have been what has kept Andersen out of Canton, that won’t be for very long as the greatest kicker in both Saints and Falcons history will one day have his bust proudly displayed in Canton.

Next: 2. OT Willie Roaf, 1993, No. 8 overall