The 10 Greatest Running Backs in New Orleans Saints History

The New Orleans Saints are a franchise known for their elite quarterback play, thanks to guys like Drew Brees and Archie Manning. However, over the years the franchise has had elite receivers, dominant defenses, and some really good running backs as well. In fact, the Saints may have a stronger relationship with good running backs than they do with elite quarterbacks.

Think about it. One of the biggest deals in NFL history was New Orleans trading its entire draft pick to select a running back. The Saints have selected four different Heisman Trophy-winning running backs. The team has drafted in the top five seven times in franchise history — four of those picks were used on running backs, including a first-overall selection.

Simply put, New Orleans loves running backs, so let’s list the 10 best in franchise history.

Criteria

The criteria is simple: production in a Saints uniform. This list is about what New Orleans running backs did, not just great running backs who played for the Saints. That means you won’t see names like Earl Campbell or Adrian Peterson, two Hall of Fame running backs who didn’t play long enough in New Orleans to do any real damage.

Most of the names on this list were drafted by the Saints, and the majority of their career production came from New Orleans. Now that we know that, let’s get to the rankings.

Duration: 2006-2010

Reggie Bush, one of the Heisman running backs drafted by the Saints, is just outside the top 10. He was selected second overall in the 2006 draft and was the first draft pick of the Sean Payton era.

Given the expectations placed on Bush following his illustrious USC career, people are quick to say he was a disappointment in New Orleans, but make no mistake, he still had an impressive tenure with the Saints. He played five seasons with the team, appearing in 60 games, carrying the ball 524 times for 2,090 yards and 17 touchdowns, while catching 294 passes for 2,142 yards and another 12 touchdowns.

Bush was the perfect running back for Sean Payton and Drew Brees and played a key role in the franchise’s only Super Bowl.

Period: 1976-1980

Tony Galbreath was part of a dominant two-man backfield, and his running mate will appear later on the list. But before him, he was selected in the second round of the 1976 Draft, and immediately began performing as a runner and receiver out of the backfield.

In his five seasons in New Orleans, he played in 75 games, carrying the ball 760 times for 2,865 yards and 27 touchdowns, while catching 284 passes for 2,221 yards and six receiving touchdowns.

Duration: 1999-2001

The Saints’ history cannot be told without Ricky Williams. After a Hall of Fame career at the University of Texas, New Orleans head coach Mike Ditka traded all remaining 1999 draft picks and two picks from the 2000 draft to move up from No. 12 to No. 5 for Williams. A total of eight picks were sent to Washington.

Unfortunately, the historic gamble didn’t pay off. Williams was good, but he didn’t become the Hall of Fame running back in New Orleans that everyone thought he would be. In fact, he only played three seasons with the Saints before being traded to the Miami Dolphins.

In those three seasons, Williams played in 38 games, carrying 814 times for 3,129 yards and 16 touchdowns, while catching 132 passes for 1,092 yards and two additional touchdowns.

Period: 1976-1980

Chuck Muncie was the running mate to No. 10 Tony Galbreath. While Galbreath made noise as a runner and receiver, Muncie did most of his damage out of the backfield.

He also played five seasons in New Orleans, appearing in 59 games and recording 788 carries for 3,393 yards and 28 touchdowns. He also caught 125 passes for 1,086 yards and another touchdown. In 1979, Muncie’s last full season in New Orleans, he made his first Pro Bowl.

Period: 1986-1990

Rueben Mayes was a third-round pick of New Orleans in the 1986 draft, but he quickly exceeded expectations. As a rookie, Mayes rushed for 1,353 yards and eight touchdowns, making the Pro Bowl in his first year. He returned to the Pro Bowl a year later and began his career with two consecutive appearances.

Unfortunately, those were his only two Pro Bowl appearances, as injuries slowed him down and forced him to miss the entire 1989 season. In total, he played four seasons with the Saints, appearing in 59 games and carrying the ball 837 times for 3,408 yards and 23 touchdowns.

Duration: 2007-2014

Pierre Thomas is the only undrafted player on this list, but that didn’t stop him in his career. After signing with the Saints as an undrafted free agent, he went on to have an extremely productive career in New Orleans.

Thomas played eight years with the Saints and never received any individual awards, but he racked up a ton of yards and helped New Orleans win the only Super Bowl in franchise history. In 105 games, Thomas carried the ball 818 times for 3,745 yards and 28 touchdowns. He also caught 327 passes for 2,608 yards and 12 more touchdowns.

Period: 1986-1993

Dalton Hilliard was selected by the Saints in the second round of the 1986 Draft, the same year they selected seventh-seeded Rueben Mayes in the third round. While it was enough carries to get both of them early, Hilliard really emerged as a star when Mayes missed a season with an injury and ended up staying in New Orleans much longer.

He spent his entire eight-year career with the Saints, carrying the ball 1,126 times for 4,164 yards and 39 touchdowns. He also caught 249 passes for 2,233 yards and 14 more touchdowns. Hilliard was also a Pro Bowler in 1989, the only Pro Bowl of his career.

Period: 1981-1984

The Saints have had one No. 1 overall pick in franchise history, and that was in 1981 when they selected George Rodgers. Rodgers was fresh off a Heisman-winning season with South Carolina, and he didn’t skip a beat when he entered the NFL. In his rookie season, he led the league with 1,674 rushing yards and had 13 touchdowns. He made the Pro Bowl that season and was named First-team All-Pro.

Rodgers played only three more seasons in New Orleans before moving to Washington and winning a Super Bowl, but before leaving the Saints he played in 51 games, recording 995 carries for 4,267 yards and 23 touchdowns. He also caught 44 passes for 292 yards.

Duration: 2011-2018 and 2021-2022

Fan-favorite Mark Ingram is arguably one of the best running backs in franchise history. Drafted with the 28th overall pick in the 2011 draft, Ingram became a fixture for the Saints throughout the 2010s, with two separate stints with the team.

He played a total of 123 games in 10 seasons for New Orleans, carrying the ball 1,451 times for 6,500 yards and 52 touchdowns. He also caught 264 passes for 1,804 yards and five more touchdowns.

Ingram was a two-time Pro Bowler in New Orleans and retired as the franchise’s leading rusher. What’s most impressive is the fact that he often split carries and played during Drew Brees’ pass-heavy era and still produced the way he did.

Duration: 2001-2008

Despite the infamous trade package that New Orleans sent to Washington for Ricky Williams in 1999, the franchise knew early on that it wouldn’t work out with Williams. As a result, the Saints selected Deuce McAllister in the first round of the 2001 Draft two years later. This time, everything went according to plan, as McAllister went on to become arguably the best running back in franchise history.

He spent his entire eight-year career in New Orleans, where he posted four 1,000-yard seasons, including two during Pro Bowl years. McAllister played in 97 total games for the Saints, carrying the ball 1,429 times for 6,096 yards and 49 touchdowns. He also added 234 receptions for 1,720 yards and five more touchdowns. At the time of his retirement, he had the most rushing yards in franchise history.

Duration: 2017-present

The best running back in Saints history is the team’s current running back, Alvin Kamara. Kamara was selected in the third round of New Orleans’ All-Time great 2017 Draft class and has been one of the best running backs in the NFL since he entered the league.

He started his career with five consecutive Pro Bowls and has been a production machine for the Saints. Oddly enough, Kamara has never rushed for 1,000 yards in a single season, but his all-purpose production is enough to ignore that. Kamara has surpassed 600 rushing yards and 400 receiving yards in all eight of his seasons.

So far in his Saints career, he has played in 101 games, carrying the ball 1,315 times for 5,829 yards and 54 touchdowns, while also catching 505 passes for 4,219 yards and 23 touchdowns. All told, he is the best running back in franchise history.

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