Typically, the days and weeks leading up to the NFL Draft is all about predicting what teams will do and who they’ll favor with their day one pick. The New Orleans Saints, though, tipped their hat and may have given away their strategy.
The Saints need a quarterback, now more than ever with Derek Carr’s injury potentially halting his 2025 season. Sure, Spencer Rattler is a feasible option, but is he the best option for first-year coach Kellen Moore?
New Orleans could possibly get Shedeur Sanders with the No. 9 pick if he falls, or even pick Jaxson Dart early. But according to an ESPN insider, they’ll wait until the second round at the earliest to address their quarterback needs.
New Orleans Saints all but reveal NFL Draft strategy, according to NFL insider
The Saints had a contingent of front office people in Athens to visit Georgia, presumably to do their homework on Jalon Walker or Mykel Williams, two options with the No. 9 pick as well. They’ll probably lean that way rather than a quarterback early on.
This is a draft class that isn’t loaded with early-round quarterbacks. The Saints are better off waiting until the second round or later to work out their quarterback kinks. The problem is, they shouldn’t have been so obvious in their thinking.
New Orleans essentially let everyone know they’re interested in Dart and would be willing to wait to take him. It’s a general consensus that Dart isn’t a first-round talent. So if they’re showing interest, it could only mean they’re leaning that way.
And if they’re intrigued by some Georgia defensive lineman, there’s no reason why they’d wait in a draft that's littered with top defensive line talent. That’s their best bet when it comes to navigating this draft.
Still, this draft feels like nothing is guaranteed. As of now Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter are expected to be gone before the New England Patriots pick with No. 4. But what if the New York Giants or Cleveland Browns decide they want to take Shedeur Sanders instead? Madness.
The Saints have options, and have made it clear what their game plan is. The problem is, everybody else is privy to their strategy and any of the eight teams ahead of them could derail that, or the Saints could get backdoored by a team trading up for Dart toward the end of the first round.