Best New Orleans Saints Draft Choices From FBS Schools: Mississippi St.

Who is the best player the New Orleans Saints ever drafted from the Mississippi St. Bulldogs?

From May 1 until the start of the 2016 NFL season on September 11, we’re going to list the best players that the Saints ever drafted from all 128 FBS schools, as of 2015.

Of course, there are a number of schools, including Air Force, Appalachian St., Arizona, Army, Baylor, Boise St., Bowling Green, Buffalo, Central Florida, Central Michigan, East Carolina, FAU, FIU, Hawaii, ULM, Miami (Ohio), Marshall, Middle Tennessee, and South Alabama, in which the Saints have never drafted a player.

Yesterday, we looked at the best player the Saints ever drafted from Ole Miss.

Today, we spotlight the best player the Saints ever drafted from Mississippi St..

When it comes to selecting the best player the Saints ever drafted from Mississippi St., the choice is limited to defensive lineman Herman Carroll (1994), defensive lineman Pat Swoopes (1986), and linebacker James Williams (1990).

In a fairly small pool of only three players, the pick is going to be Williams, a linebacker, who played five seasons for the franchise, from 1990-1994.

After finishing his collegiate career at Mississippi St., Williams  was selected by the Saints in the 6th round of the 1990 NFL Draft.

A native of Natchez, Mississippi, Williams played in 14 games as a rookie, mostly on special teams, making one tackle.

In 1991, Williams appeared in all 16 games, including 4 as a starter, and compiled 29 tackles, including his first career sack.

The 6-foot, 245-pound Williams was used exclusively as a reserve and special teams performer in 1992, before starting a career-high 9 games in 1993, accumulating a career-high 89 tackles from his left-inside linebacker position.

In 1994, Williams appeared in all 16 games for a fourth-consecutive season, starting 7, while generating 59 tackles.

Williams left the Saints after the 1994 campaign, and played one season with the Jacksonville Jaguars (1995), two with the San Francisco 49ers (1997-1998), and one with the Cleveland Browns (1999), before retiring at the age of 31.

In 5 seasons with the Saints, Williams appeared in 78 games, including 20 as a starter, racking up 194 tackles, including 3 sacks, to go along with 2 interceptions, including one for a touchdowns.

In 9 seasons in the NFL, Williams appeared in 137 games, including 26 starts, accumulating 254 tackles, 3 sacks, and 4 interceptions.