The New Orleans Saints are arguably a legitimate title contender once they head into the 2018 NFL season. The team is coming off an impression 2017 campaign in which they came one game short of the NFC Championship Game in which they probably should've played in had it not been for the Minneapolis Miracle.
Along with veteran Drew Brees back in the fold for at least two more seasons and still playing at a very high level, New Orleans may have set themselves up for the future at the quarterback position by signing J.T. Barrett out of Ohio State. Head coach Sean Payton thinking highly of the rookie saying the following about what led to the team bringing him in, via the team's website.
“There is a leadership presence about him. He is in an athlete. He has played a lot of competitive football and he has handled this camp very well. (He has) A lot of the things that you look for in that position. He was certainly worthy of being drafted and he has done a good job here.”
The 2018 NFL Draft was chalk full of talented quarterbacks. Five players at the position were taken in the first round last month while Barrett fell out of the draft completely.
The former Buckeyes star went undrafted paving the way for the Saints to bring him in as a potential successor to Brees. Although Payton has praised the rookie's “leadership presence,” it remains to be seen whether he's got a future in New Orleans or in the NFL for that matter.