My 10 favorite draft choices by the Saints since 2000

After looking at the best recent draft picks for 30 other teams, it's now time to look at the Saints, who have the 62nd pick in this month's draft (they traded their first-rounder in order to move up to draft Marcus Davenport last year). Luke Easterling of USA Today has them selecting safety Amani Hooker out of Iowa with that pick in his latest mock draft.

Since 2000, the Saints have qualified for the playoffs eight times, and they went on to win the Super Bowl in the 2009 season. Four of the players who made their way onto this list were members of that championship team. Some excellent draft choices over the past few years have also helped New Orleans to a 24-8 record in the last two seasons.

Note: Only time with the Saints is considered for this list. Where they were drafted (and how long they played with the team) makes a difference - meaning this isn't exactly a list of the top 10 players drafted by New Orleans since 2000. Remember this is a subjective list, meaning there can be much debate as to who the top-ten should be. Some late-round draft picks that didn't quite make the list but had solid careers with the team include Zach Strief (seventh round, 2006), Jermon Bushrod (fourth round, 2007), Thomas Morstead (fifth round, 2009), Kenny Stills (fifth round, 2013), and Tyler Davison (fifth round, 2015).