Each NFL team’s biggest Hall of Fame omission

New Orleans Saints: G Jahri Evans

In 1986, Jim Mora changed the fortunes of the New Orleans Saints. He took over a team that had never finished with a winning record in its first 19 years of existence. After a 7-9 debut campaign, Mora guided the club to a 12-3 record and its first playoff appearance in ‘87.

His defense was led by a quartet of linebackers who all went to the Pro Bowl together in 1992. Rickey Jackson and Sam Mills are Pro Football Hall of Famers. Could Pat Swilling and Vaughan Johnson be in that discussion one day?

Twenty years later, Sean Payton was hired as the team’s head coach and quarterback Drew Brees was signed via free agency. In 2009, the team won its first 13 games and eventually surprised the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XXIV. That club had its share of talent and much of it came in one of the best drafts in recent memory. From first-rounder Reggie Bush to offensive lineman Zach Strief and wide receiver Marques Colston in the seventh round.

Talk about a steal? In the fourth round, the Saints opted for guard Jahri Evans from Bloomsburg (PA). He spent 11 seasons in the Big Easy and started every game his first seven years in the league. He was named to six straight Pro Bowls from 2009-14 and earned All-Pro honors four consecutive years from 2009-12. Evans was a member of the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 2010s.