In 1979, Russell Erxleben was a kicking phenom for the Texas Longhorns. He had multiple field goals from at least 60 yards out, and as close as many NFL games are, it might make sense to add a weapon like that to your team. In fact, Erxleben made a 67-yard field goal against Rice, which is tied for the longest kick in NCAA history.
Erxleben was also a punter, so the Saints reasoned that he could do both kicking jobs and would save them a roster spot. Thus, they made him their first-round draft pick with the No. 11 overall selection.
The only problem with the Saints' logic was that Erxleben didn't kick field goals very well, as in his rookie season he only went 4-of-8 on field goals before they took the job away from him. He went 1-of-2 from 20-29 yards and 3-of-6 from 30-39 yards. His big leg never became a factor, as the Saints never allowed him to try a field goal longer than 39 yards.
The Saints then had Erxleben focus on punting, which he did for the next four years. The only problem with that was Erxleben wasn't really a great punter either, as he only averaged 40.6 yards per punt over his career. The Saints then released Erxleben and wondered why they drafted him in the first round to begin with.
