New Orleans Saints First Round Draft Choices: John Shinners (1969)

The first round of the 2016 NFL Draft will be held on Thursday, April 28, in Chicago, Illinois.

Between now and then, we’ll be looking back at all of the drafts of the New Orleans, from 1967-2015.

Yesterday, we looked back at 1968.

Today: 1969

The 1969 draft was the third draft in the history of the Saints.

The pick: John Shinners, a guard, out of Xavier.

Shinners became the third-ever first round draft choice of the Saints, taken with the 17th overall pick in 1969.

A native of Hartford, Wisconsin, Shinners wasn't an awful pick, but he really didn't contribute much to the Saints, playing his best football later on in his career.

A 6-foot-3, 255-pound guard, Shinners spent the 1969-1971 seasons with the Saints, only starting four games, all during the 1970 campaign.

Shinners did go on to spend six more seasons in the NFL, including one with the Baltimore Colts (1972) and five with the Cincinnati Bengals (1973-1977), with who he had his most successful years, being a starter in two of his seasons there.

The Saints made a solid second round pick in 1969, taking Southern defensive lineman Richard Neal, who was a starter in 3 of his first 4 years with the team.

In the 9th round the Saints selected defensive end Joe Owens, who they drafted, traded to the San Diego Chargers, and then reacquired in 1970, before he spent the next five years in New Orleans, including three as a starter.

Ed Hargett, a quarterback selected in the 16th round, spent four season with the Saints.