A consensus is building at QB for the Saints and Shedeur Sanders in NFL mock drafts

USA Today

14-04-2025

A consensus is building at QB for the Saints and Shedeur Sanders in NFL mock drafts
We're almost there -- the 2025 NFL draft has become a topic of discussion for next week, not next month, much less next year. And the New Orleans Saints have some serious decisions to make about the future of their franchise. With news dropping recently that Derek Carr is dealing with a major shoulder injury which may require surgery, ending his 2025 season before it begins, a lot of media outlets covering the draft expect the Saints to draft a quarterback.
In fact, seven of the eight mock drafts we surveyed this week have the Saints spending their first-round pick on a quarterback. Five of them have New Orleans drafting the same QB. So there's obviously a consensus building outside the team facility. Do the decision-makers inside it feel the same way? Here's a quick look at which prospects are being linked to the Saints:
While it already felt like this organization could be heavily involved in the quarterback mix prior to Friday's news about Derek Carr's injured shoulder, it now seems like it's almost incumbent on New Orleans to take a passer – especially since Carr's contract structure was already rigged to make him an ex-Saint in 2026. And maybe Shedeur Sanders is the pick here, as many prognosticators have suggested. But Dart could very well be a better fit with rookie HC Kellen Moore, who's spent recent seasons working with the likes of Dak Prescott, Justin Herbert and Jalen Hurts – all, like Dart, who are more athletic and mobile than Sanders. An all-SEC selection last season after leading the conference in passing yards (4,279) and efficiency, Dart (6-2, 223) might still need a bit of time to get acclimated to the NFL, but the Saints have some other short-term options on their depth chart.
News broke this past week that starting quarterback Derek Carr has a shoulder injury that might require surgery, leaving his 2025 status up in the air. In turn, the Saints decide to get younger at the position by drafting Jaxson Dart.
Much like Carr, Dart excels at throwing deep. He tossed 17 touchdown passes on deep passes (20-plus yards downfield) and posted a 92.6 PFF passing grade on deep throws in 2024.
Edge rusher isn't currently the biggest need on the Saints, but it's not a bad idea to add someone to the rotation here. Chase Young is back on a multiyear deal, but Carl Granderson could use some competition and Cam Jordan isn't an impact player anymore. Taking Shemar Stewart here from Texas A&M would be a big risk given his production, but the upside is there and he has the size that the Saints have preferred from their defensive line prospects in recent years.
The Saints are set up for a third season with Derek Carr at quarterback. The franchise fumbles along, deep in salary-cap issues. If the Saints choose Sanders, they have a QB to build a new future around.
There's definitely been some smoke regarding the Saints taking a quarterback in this draft. In this simulation, the second-best signal-caller in the class falls right into their lap at No. 9. At some point, New Orleans has to start planning for the future; snagging a talented prospect with a reasonable price tag at the league's most premium position could be a coup.
EDITOR'S UPDATE: Saints starting QB Derek Carr's availability for the 2025 season is in question thanks to a shoulder injury, with the veteran considering surgery, NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo reported Friday.
With an aging roster pockmarked by restructured contracts and depth issues, New Orleans is no longer the land of bullish cap truthers. And with piles of dead presidents tied up in dead cap, the Saints could use the salary cheat code of a quarterback on a rookie contract. Sanders, like most first-year signal-callers, could benefit from a grace period before he's expected to take the reins from the incumbent starter (Derek Carr). New head coach Kellen Moore has proven adept at working with young quarterbacks, particularly Dak Prescott and Jalen Hurts.
EDITOR'S UPDATE: After publishing, NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo reported that Carr's availability for the 2025 season is in question thanks to a shoulder injury, with the QB considering surgery.
We had this penciled in even before the news about Derek Carr, who was not the long-term answer at the position anyway. The Saints aren't a quarterback away from competing and Sanders might not have the upside to get them where they want to go, but they always operate as though they're one move away and this could be that move (in their eyes).
Rookie coach Kellen Moore has the luxury to prevent a fall that would drive Coach Prime bonkers and choose his franchise quarterback to replace Derek Carr in 2026.
Let's check that again -- except for one mock draft picking a defensive lineman, every projection has the Saints taking a quarterback, and most of them like Shedeur Sanders at No. 9. That doesn't really line up with the team's public contact with the QB. They interviewed him formally at the NFL Scouting Combine and sent their quarterbacks coach to his pro day, but otherwise haven't had much time with him. Head coach Kellen Moore didn't attend his throwing session. They haven't scheduled a private workout with him. If the Saints are interested in Sanders they've done a great job of hiding it. We'll find out if there's any truth to this speculation soon enough.