Saints ideal QB pick in the NFL Draft should be waiting for them as ‘major steal’

The future of the quarterback position for the New Orleans Saints is as murky as ever. There's a good chance Derek Carr sticks around for another season, but injuries and his own shortcomings continue to stand in the way of collective progress.

Before the season, many viewed New Orleans as a legitimate challenger in the wide-open NFC South. Instead, the Saints will enter the final week of the campaign with a ghastly 5-11 record, jockeying for NFL Draft position, rather than a spot in the postseason.

We should clarify that Carr is hardly the primary source of blame here. The Saints are .500 in the 10 games Carr has started, but 0-6 when he doesn't play. Spencer Rattler, a fifth-round pick and the current heir to Carr's throne, is 0-5 with more interceptions (five) than touchdowns (three) in games he has started.

If anything, the Saints' inability to establish a more suitable succession plan behind Carr has been their downfall. Carr is on the books for over $50 million next season — with a significant dead cap hit if New Orleans cuts him. But, whether the front office indulges in Carr for another season or not, it's clear his tenure as Saints quarterback is coming to an end sooner than later. New Orleans wants to play better than .500 football at full strength.

Luckily for the Saints, a prime replacement plan could be available in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft.

Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart, a potential Saints target, dubbed 'major steal' by longtime NFL scout

Ole Miss senior Jaxson Dart ended his college football career on a high note, completing 27-of-35 passes for 404 yards and four touchdowns in a 52-20 blowout of the Duke Blue Devils on Thursday night. It was an impressive showcase from the Rebels, who surely feel a certain type of way about missing the College Football Playoff.

It was Dart's last game after three incredible seasons in Oxford. He finished the 2024 campaign with the most passing yards (4,279) and touchdowns (29) in the SEC, while also leading the conference in completion percentage (69.3). For a while there, he was in the thick of the Heisman race. The Ole Miss season went too far sideways in the end, but Dart stood head and shoulders above the competition in college football's most talent-laden conference. That is no small feat.

According to Bleacher Report insider Jordan Schultz, one longtime NFL scout views Dart as "a major steal." The B/R scouting department currently ranks him as the sixth-best QB in the 2025 draft and the 55th overall prospect.

The Saints probably won't land high enough to draft the top QB prospects in a weak draft — Colorado's Shedeur Sanders and Miami's Cam Ward, both of whom are projected top-five selections. New Orleans, presently slated for the 10th overall pick, may need to wait until the second or third round to strike on a quarterback. That should be Dart's range.

Dart has one of the liveliest arms in the draft, not to mention excellent mobility and a genuine comfort throwing on the move. He, like Bo Nix and many others before him, was the beneficiary of a very productive and streamlined scheme in college, so there could be a steep learning curve in the NFL. That should not bother the Saints, however, especially if Dart is to spend his first season learning the ropes from Carr.

New Orleans has now essentially whiffed on two potential Carr replacements in Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener. It's fair to wonder if the front office has a good enough eye for QB prospects. All the same, Dart feels like the sort of established, high-wattage college star who could end New Orleans' woes at the position.