Saints are willing to draft a quarterback in Round 1

Drew Brees is the unquestioned leader of the Saints offense at the moment, but New Orleans wants to find his successor in the 2020 NFL Draft.

The Saints have a really difficult choice ahead of them in the first round of this year’s draft. On one hand, they’d like to give Drew Brees another weapon to help him bring one more Super Bowl title to the people in New Orleans. On the other, it might be time for the franchise to start preparing for life without their Hall of Fame quarterback.

At the very least, it’s clear that the Saints front office is willing to select a quarterback if the right prospect is still on the board when their pick comes up. The team’s General Manager Mickey Loomis recently told the media that you have to add a “quality quarterback prospect” any time you get the opportunity.

That means quarterback could be a position the Saints look to address with the No. 24 overall pick. Most mock drafts have New Orleans adding a new wide receiver or linebacker at that spot. No one should discount the idea that Loomis and his front office might take advantage of a highly rated quarterback prospect sliding towards the bottom of Round 1.

The most appealing scenario to the Saints would be stopping a nightmare scenario for Tua Tagovailoa. The former Alabama signal caller has the talent to go in the top five, but injury concerns could cause multiple teams to pass on his prodigious talent. The Saints would love an opportunity to sit tight and grab him at No. 24. It’s even possible they could look to trade up for Tua if he starts to slide past into the teens.

The more likely prospect to fall to them at that spot is Jordan Love. Taking him in the first round would be a much larger gamble. He’s got a cannon for an arm but his propensity to turn the football over should be a major red flag for teams interested in selecting him early in the draft. Sitting behind Brees could be just what Love needs to succeed in the NFL.

Round 1 isn’t the only place the Saints can use to secure a successor for Brees. It’s possible the franchise could use a second or third round pick to add depth to their quarterback room. Someone like Jalen Hurts could be a very interesting weapon in Sean Payton’s offense. Jacob Eason’s big arm could also open up things down the field for New Orleans in the future.

One thing the Saints probably won’t do to add a quarterback to the mix is trade for a veteran. Taysom Hill is a perfectly capable backup for Brees at the moment. It wouldn’t make sense for New Orleans to spend valuable resources (and salary cap space) on a veteran to sit on the bench for another season or two.

Saints fans should keep a close eye on quarterback prospects every time their favorite team goes on the clock in this year’s draft. The moment that New Orleans sees a good match between value and availability at the position they’re going to pounce on a new signal caller.