In the Drew Brees-Sean Payton era, the New Orleans Saints became known for their high powered offense and gaudy passing yards. That era from 2006-2020 alone produced 15 of the 27 1,000 yard receiving seasons in team history. Those years were highlighted by the leading receiver in team history, Marques Colston, the only receiving threat with multiple First Team All Pro selections, Michael Thomas, and one of the best tight ends in the league, Jimmy Graham. The Saints finished with two 1,000 yard receivers in 2011 (Colston, Graham), 2012 (Colston, Lance Moore), and 2016 (Brandin Cooks, Thomas.)
Prior to this era, Saints wide receivers were highlighted by Joe Horn and Eric Martin. Horn hit the ground running with three consecutive seasons over 1,250 yards upon his arrival in New Orleans in 2000. Martin was the lead receiver from the late 1980’s to early 1990’s.
