Saints head to the playoffs thanks in large part to an incredible rookie class
 

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Saints head to the playoffs thanks in large part to an incredible rookie class – ProFootballTalk

Re: Saints head to the playoffs thanks in large part to an incredible rookie class
 

Depending how this boils down this could be the best rookie class of all time for a team. If they make it to the NFC Championship or SB I think that would seal it.

Re: Saints head to the playoffs thanks in large part to an incredible rookie class
 

I don't know. It's going to be next to impossible to put any class over the Steelers 1974 class that ended up with four hall of famers: Lynn Swann, Mike Webster, Jack Lambert and John Stallworth.

Re: Saints head to the playoffs thanks in large part to an incredible rookie class
 

True, but I think it could pretty easily be the Saints best draft ever. Hopefully Anzalone comes back next year and claims himself a starting spot at LB. That would really push it over the top.

Re: Saints head to the playoffs thanks in large part to an incredible rookie class
 

That team only won 10 games in the RS. They did win the SB so if we pulled that off I would say yes, best rookie class of all time. No way to gauge long term but things are so different now. No way we could keep all of them when it's time to pony up. Right now though, going off the 11 W's, RS this is the best class. We hit the freakin lottery either way.

Re: Saints head to the playoffs thanks in large part to an incredible rookie class
 

Yeah, as far as just Saints drafts, it will most likely go down as their best. Assuming they don't fall flat on their faces in the next year or two.

Re: Saints head to the playoffs thanks in large part to an incredible rookie class
 

The Steelers draft class didn't have the immediate results that the Saints did.

The Steelers in 1973 were 10-3-1; in 1974 they were 10-4

Rec Yds Avg Yds/G Lng TD

91 John Stallworth PIT WR 16 269 16.8 20.7 -- 1

110 Lynn Swann PIT WR 11 208 18.9 17.3 -- 2

Re: Saints head to the playoffs thanks in large part to an incredible rookie class
 

Well... There is a little more that goes into declaring a class the best of all time, don't you think? I wasn't aware we were using just the first season to define the success of a class. They also didn't have 16 game regular season's back then, either.

Whether or not the Saints keep these players long term isn't really part of the equation for me. It's just about looking at player success, and the fact that they were all drafted by one team in the same year. If they leave, and go on to be hall of famers, it wouldn't diminish anything.

Re: Saints head to the playoffs thanks in large part to an incredible rookie class
 

So? maybe they didn't need those guys to contribute as much in their first year. They did win the Super Bowl, after all. Does this mean that the Steelers did not, in fact, draft four hall of famers in the same year?

I'm having a hard time understanding why this is an argument.

Re: Saints head to the playoffs thanks in large part to an incredible rookie class
 

The difference is the Saints 2017 draft class had an immediate and positive effect; the Steelers 1974 class did not.

Re: Saints head to the playoffs thanks in large part to an incredible rookie class
 

Regardless, they will go down as one of the best draft classes of not only the Saints but of any team. Probably in the top 5 on the first rookie season alone. Talking about long term careers is fairly silly at this point. I don't even know how that is even on the table.

Re: Saints head to the playoffs thanks in large part to an incredible rookie class
 

That's an entirely different argument. You are literally just talking about one season. And what about Jack Lambert and Mike Webster? Did they do nothing? If that team won the super bowl, then it seems everything worked out as well as it needed to, and they all went on to be hall of famers.

Seems pretty simple to me.

Re: Saints head to the playoffs thanks in large part to an incredible rookie class
 

It's on the table because you said it might be the best class of all time. So I'm just saying it will be hard to top the Steelers '74 class. I didn't say they WON'T. I just thought I might remind people of that.

The Saints draft class has been highly productive, and may very well go down as one of the best ever. I'm not arguing with you on that. Just tryin' to bring some perspective.

Re: Saints head to the playoffs thanks in large part to an incredible rookie class
 

But you are arguing with me as me with you. End of the day, if they win the SB that means they made a lot more plays. They will be the best draft class in their rookie year of all time or on equal ground with the disco Steelers. That is all I'm saying. But they have to get the Lombardi.

Re: Saints head to the playoffs thanks in large part to an incredible rookie class
 

And if we’d drafted his well between 2011 and 2015 we may have reached the playoffs every season!

Re: Saints head to the playoffs thanks in large part to an incredible rookie class
 

You've either shifted the argument to JUST their rookie season, or you made it appear to me that you were talking about best draft class ever, period.

Winning the Super Bowl is a team accomplishment, though, so I don't know that it matters how the Saints finish. If you want to talk about just for their rookie years, sure, I'll give you that. That didn't seem to be the discussion we started out with.

Re: Saints head to the playoffs thanks in large part to an incredible rookie class
 

It's a good draft for us. The best this year in the NFL

Re: Saints head to the playoffs thanks in large part to an incredible rookie class
 

At the very least this rookie class has turned around a very bad defense,had the best season of all rookies on either side of the field. Had five starters on the divisional championship team. Not to mention contributors as rotational players. By ANY measure this is an EXceptional draft class. Throw in the two LBs and DE we signed in free agency and our front office deserves all kinds of praise for a tremendous off-season!
If we could come close to replicating this class next year we would have the makings of a dynasty.

Re: Saints head to the playoffs thanks in large part to an incredible rookie class
 

The odds of replicating that are close to 0. Doing it once in this age is insane enough. We got 4 rookies playing like seasoned pro bowlers. A team is fortunate to get just 1.