Hughes was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the fifth round (137th overall) of the 1993 NFL Draft, with the intention of playing him at cornerback. As a rookie, he played mostly on special teams and only saw time on defense until the season finale, when he was forced into action because of injuries. He had four special teams tackles in the season. In the fifth game against the Los Angeles Rams, he returned a punt 74 yards for a touchdown and his 128 total punt return yards were third-most in Saints history. Against the Minnesota Vikings, he returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown to tie the game, that the Saints won 17-14. Against the Philadelphia Eagles, he set a club record with an 83-yard punt return. He led the league in punt return yards (503) and punt return average (13.6), while being ranked second in kickoff returns with a 25.1-yard average. His 503 punt return yards broke the team record of 436 yards set by Jeff Groth in 1986. He was the first player in franchise history to return 2 punts for touchdowns in a season and a career. He became the fourth rookie in franchise history to earn Pro Bowl recognition. He also received NFL All-rookie honors as a returner.