The NFL Throwback YouTube recently posted a video with every team’s Mount Rushmore of players. They said the New Orleans Saints Mount Rushmore consisted of Drew Brees, Willie Roaf, Rickey Jackson and Cameron Jordan.
There is no debate for Brees or Roaf. Brees’ resume speaks for itself, capped off with a Super Bowl win. Roaf is one of 25 players ever to make multiple All-Decades teams (1990s, 2000s). He was one of, if not the best left tackle in the NFL throughout his career.
Cameron Jordan is still playing and trying to make his case for the Hall of Fame. He’s the Saints’ all-time leader in sacks (117.5), has eight Pro Bowls, a first-team All-Pro nod and two second-teams. He’s been a staple of New Orleans’ defense for over a decade and has a very strong case for a spot on Mount Rushmore, just not a lock like the other two.
Same goes for Rickey Jackson, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2010. He made six Pro Bowls and was a second-team All-Pro five times. He also led the league in forced fumbles multiple times.
There’s a few players who deserve consideration on this list, and potentially even a spot. Here’s the players who have a case for New Orleans’ Mount Rushmore.
Jahri Evans
There’s an argument for Jahri Evans being a better lineman in his prime than Roaf. The former right guard was a first-team All-Pro in four-straight seasons and also made six consecutive Pro Bowls from 2009-2014. Evans missed the mark on making the Hall of Fame in 2024 when he was a finalist. He didn’t play at a premium position, but it’s hard to make the case that there were four better football players in Saints history than Evans.
Sam Mills
Jackson and Sam Mills were the two Hall of Fame linebackers from the Saints’ “dome patrol” defense, which shined in the late 80s and early 90s. Mills made four Pro Bowls and two second-team All-Pros during his nine years in New Orleans. The 5-foot-9 linebacker was a staple of the Saints’ defense, and has a fair debate for Mount Rushmore.
Honorable mention:
Marques Colston, Archie Manning and Morten Anderson.
Colston was Brees’ top receiving option when the quarterback first arrived to New Orleans in 2006 and served an important role in the team’s Super Bowl win. He played all 10 seasons with the Saints and had six 1,000-yard seasons and two more with at least 900, but never made a Pro Bowl.
Manning finished his Saints tenure with a 35-91-3 record as the team’s starting quarterback. But he didn’t have a lot of help, and is still known as one of the early greats in Saints history.
Morten Anderson is second in field goals made all-time to Adam Vinatieri. The three-time All-Pro is another Saint who was on two different All-Decade teams. He made six Pro Bowls in his 13 seasons with New Orleans.