The New Orleans Saints need to be honest with themselves. Of all the teams playing in the lackluster NFC South, they are the least likely to win the division this year. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been on top since the end of COVID. While the arch rival Atlanta Falcons seem poised to finally break through, it might be the Carolina Panthers, who are light years better than they were a season ago.
This is because the Saints' three rival teams all have an undisputed starting quarterback to rally behind. Tampa Bay has Baker Mayfield, Atlanta has Michael Penix Jr. and Carolina has Bryce Young. While Derek Carr can supposedly be that, he is dealing with a nagging injury that may cost him this season. If he cannot go, get ready to live life with Spencer Rattler under center for 17 games for this season.
Then again, maybe that is the point in all this? The Saints could conceivably be bad enough to "earn" the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. I sincerely doubt that hometown hero Arch Manning is ready to leave Texas after only one year as the starter. New Orleans may take Colorado Buffaloes star Shedeur Sanders or Ole Miss Rebels signal-caller Jaxson Dart at No. 9 overall in this year's NFL Draft.
In the event that the Saints do not take a first-round quarterback, I would open up my eyes to 2026...
3. Clemson Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik
I am going to run counter to what most people are thinking, but you know what, I am in favor of having another former Westlake star from Austin, Texas make his way to the Saints in Cade Klubnik. Like Drew Brees, he did not play his college football for the Longhorns, like fellow Westlake alum Sam Ehlinger. I think Klubnik is going to have a fantastic year playing quarterback for the Clemson Tigers.
He was every bit the five-star coming out of high school. While his first two years at Clemson were rather rocky, he found his footing vs. middling ACC teams under offensive coordinator Garrett Riley's direction. If Klubnik can show a bit more confidence in an adverse situation, he might be the guy head coach Kellen Moore hitches his wagon to. Klubnik could be a first-round pick, but we must be patient.
The hope is that you end up with a more physically gifted Brees, but you may just be getting Klubnik...
2. South Carolina Gamecocks quarterback LaNorris Sellers
If you want to make every team you play twice annually in the NFC South hate their very existence, inject the next Cam Newton into the division in South Carolina's dual-threat quarterback LaNorris Sellers. The last underclassmen quarterback who wowed this much during his early college career was Tua Tagovailoa at Alabama. His spiral was so pretty. Sellers' game is not that, but is a ton of fun!
While the absolute worst-case scenario for Sellers already exists in the NFL in Anthony Richardson of the Indianapolis Colts, I like his mental makeup a lot more than the former Florida star. Although he may not reach all of his potential, I know for a fact the Buccaneers, Falcons and Panthers are going to hate having to defend him twice annually for possibly the next decade. Sellers to the Saints is scary!
As I feel about Arch Manning at Texas, I think that there is a decent chance Sellers declares in 2027.
1. LSU Tigers quarterback Garrett Nussmeier
This may be part of the plan all along. We are not sucking for Luck. We are not tanking for Tua. What we are about to do is be a carrot for Garrett. "I'm a carrot!" No, you are not Rob Schneider and no, you are not the Saints' brain trust. If the Saints are as bad as I think they can be going with Rattler for an entire season, you might be the team to beat to draft Garrett Nussmeier out of LSU at No. 1 overall
Yes, he may play at LSU. Yes, he may be from Louisiana. And yes, his father Doug Nussmeier is the team's new offensive coordinator. None of that should matter when deciding to pick him. What I see in Nussmeier is potentially the next Matthew Stafford. If he is the next Justin Herbert, I could live with that. Truth be told, you better hope Nussmeier is the 2024 version of Sam Darnold over Blake Bortles.
That is a risk I am willing to take, as Nussmeier can be a star in this league for a team like New Orleans.