JACKSON: Don’t expect New Orleans to leap for a quarterback in this year’s draft

By Ross Jackson

Anything is possible in the NFL Draft. However, recent reports of the New Orleans Saints meeting with two of the top quarterbacks in this year’s class have some anticipating a big move from the team that feels very unlikely to take place. 

Per various reports, the Saints have met with Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders and Miami signal caller Cam Ward. 

Many believe that the two passers will be among the first three selections in this year’s draft, leaving the Saints just outside of their range at No. 9 overall. 

The truth is that NFL Combine visits with prospects don’t necessarily indicate interest. Teams will conduct both formal and informal meetings with nearly every prospect at some point this offseason, and the NFL Combine provides a prime opportunity for these interactions, much like the Senior Bowl.

Teams visit with players that are considered out of their range constantly. Part of the unpredictability of the NFL Draft is that you never know when a team is going to have an unexpected player fall into their laps. 

So, don’t expect New Orleans to make a massive move to trade up into Sanders’ or Ward’s range. But they’ll do their homework anyway, just in case an unlikely fall takes place. 

Both players are remarkably talented and are considered the top two options at the game’s most important position. But with so many needs in the Saints’ roster, trading away draft capital for a quarterback that won’t see the field in 2025 may not be the best use of resources. Perhaps free agency changes that, but for now these visits feel more like preparation of a hypothetical fall than an ill-advised trade-up.