New Orleans Saints – Marques Colston (No. 252 pick, 2006)
You won’t find a more interesting argument between two players than you will with Marques Colston and Willie Roaf. Roaf was a no-doubt Hall of Fame selection after being picked in the top ten by New Orleans in 1993, and for all intents and purposes, he was the best player in the franchise’s history before Drew Brees came along to lead the organization to a Super Bowl win.
Marques Colston is not as good at football as Willie Roaf was.
However, the value proposition of getting a standout wide receiver late in the seventh round is off the charts. Colston was a no-name prospect coming out of Hofstra, but he put together six (!) seasons with 1,000 receiving yards or more, and he is the franchise’s all-time leader in receiving yards (9,759) and receiving touchdowns (72). It is fair to say that Colston was never the best receiver in the league or anything close to that, but context certainly matters.
Trust me, I won’t get upset with anyone who tries to argue for Willie Roaf, because Willie Roaf was absolutely awesome and an institution with the Saints. Marques Colston is just the better value pick in my mind.
Next: New York Giants