New Orleans now has a massive issue at QB but drafting one early may be a bad idea.
With the recent news surrounding Derek Carr’s new shoulder injury, the outlook for the upcoming New Orleans Saints season is much different. The team is currently missing a certified starter at quarterback, and of course, because they are drafting a pick 9, that position is expected to be in play.
Before this news, drafting a QB in the first round, for example, Shedeur Sanders, sounded much better due to having the opportunity to sit the rookie for a year and learn behind Carr. Now, if the Saints select one at 9, that player will be thrown into a situation where they need to step up and be a starter. If new Saints head coach Kellen Moore and his offensive staff believe that a prospect like Sanders can be the franchise QB and see no reason why he can not start on day 1, selecting him makes sense. The issue is we do not know if the Saints rate Sanders that high, and in regards to team building, it may be smarter to avoid drafting a QB early. If the team does go in the direction of just drafting the best player available at 9 and work to improve other positions throughout the draft, 2nd year QB Spencer Rattler will be the starter.
Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
Last season, Rattler was thrown into a rough situation. Injuries throughout the offense, poor offensive line play, a coach fighting for his job, and having to carry a team way too early in his development. Still, when Rattler played his first games with the Saints, he showed great signs. Arguably, the top thing we saw from Rattler was his development after Derek Carr’s hand injury. He looked much better after being able to sit and learn a bit more, and that was with an even more injured roster. For the whole season and beyond, there have been stories/quotes that emphasize their belief in Rattler’s potential. Now, it is going to depend on what Moore wants, but going with Rattler is an extremely low risk decision.
Let’s say Rattler is the starter for the 2025 season and shows he can be at least a good starter in the NFL. Now, the Saints will a cheap starting QB that they can build around for future years. If Rattler fails to develop and the season goes horribly, now New Orleans is in play for the 1st pick in the 2026 draft. It is believed that next year’s QB class will be better, but obviously that is just a projection and can be wrong. No matter what, going with Spencer Rattler as the starter in 2025 is still a low-risk high reward opportunity that needs to be considered.
Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Here is a potential New Orleans Saints mock draft if they decide to make Rattler the starter in 2025:
Round 1, pick 9 – TE Tyler Warren (Penn State)
Round 2, pick 40 – EDGE Bradyn Swinson (LSU)
Round 3, pick 71 – OL Jonah Savaiinaea (Arizona)
Round 3, pick 93 – EDGE Kyle Kennard (South Carolina)
Round 4, pick 112 – RB Damien Martinez (Miami)
Round 4, pick 131 – CB Quincy Riley (Louisville)
Round 6, pick 184 – QB Kyle McCord (Syracuse)
Round 7, pick 248 – S Dan Jackson (Georgia)
Round 7, pick 254 – WR Andrew Armstrong (Arkansas)
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