5 teams that should draft UNC quarterback Sam Howell in 2022 NFL Draft

New Orleans Saints

Once Drew Brees announced his retirement from the NFL after the 2020 season, the New Orleans Saints were on the clock to find his suitable replacement. 2021 could not have gone worse for New Orleans’ quarterback room.

Jameis Winston performed admirably at the start of the season, but was ruled out after suffering a year-ending knee injury in Week 8. Trevor Siemian went 0-4 when starting under center for the Saints. Taysom Hill, while an athletic weapon for the Saints, does not look to be the answer under center.

The Saints need to use an early draft pick to find their quarterback. Howell landing in New Orleans and learning under head coach Sean Payton could be the best destination for him. Of course, that hinges on how the Saints evaluate him in the pre-draft process.

Denver Broncos

The Denver Broncos have never found a suitable replacement for Peyton Manning once he retired after the team’s Super Bowl 50 victory.

In 2021, the Broncos pulled off a trade with the Carolina Panthers to land Teddy Bridgewater. Even though Bridgewater put up relatively solid numbers, the Broncos passing attack is not living up to its potential, especially when looking at their stacked wide receiver depth chart (Courland Sutton, Tim Patrick, Jerry Jeudy).

Also on the quarterback depth chart is Drew Lock, who has not panned out like many had expected after he was selected in the second-round of the 2019 draft.

The Broncos passed on selecting a quarterback in the first-round in the 2021 draft, and they can not avoid addressing it this spring. Denver will likely have its choice of signal caller prospects based off where they fall on the draft board.