Each NFL team’s best ever 1st-round draft pick
Willie Roaf. '93. player. 15. <div class=. LT. Louisiana Tech
So he was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs for a 3rd-round pick, the franchise’s worst personnel move ever. Roaf went on to help form the best offensive line in football at the time and was named All-Pro in three of the four seasons. He was a road-grader in the running game and was the ultimate blindside pass-protector.
On the whole, Roaf’s dominance in New Orleans and Kansas City was over his 13 seasons. He was on the NFL’s all-decade team twice, 1st-team All-Pro seven times and 2nd-team All-Pro six times. The only other Saint in the Hall of Fame so far is 1981 2nd-round pick and outside linebacker Ricky Jackson.
Saints owner Tom Benson had a deep appreciation for perhaps his best player ever, saying, “He was the best player on our team during his entire tenure with us, one of the top players in the history of our franchise and one of the NFL’s greatest at his position.”
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'93
Willie Roaf
LT, Louisiana Tech
In 1993, the New Orleans Saints drafted left tackle Willie Roaf No. 8 overall from Louisiana Tech. And right away, he became their franchise left tackle, starting 131 regular season games for them. Unfortunately, Roaf suffered a knee injury seven games into the 2001 season that had some believing his career was over.
So he was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs for a 3rd-round pick, the franchise’s worst personnel move ever. Roaf went on to help form the best offensive line in football at the time and was named All-Pro in three of the four seasons. He was a road-grader in the running game and was the ultimate blindside pass-protector.
On the whole, Roaf’s dominance in New Orleans and Kansas City was over his 13 seasons. He was on the NFL’s all-decade team twice, 1st-team All-Pro seven times and 2nd-team All-Pro six times. The only other Saint in the Hall of Fame so far is 1981 2nd-round pick and outside linebacker Ricky Jackson.
Saints owner Tom Benson had a deep appreciation for perhaps his best player ever, saying, “He was the best player on our team during his entire tenure with us, one of the top players in the history of our franchise and one of the NFL’s greatest at his position.”
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