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The New Orleans Saints were rumored to be interested in selecting a quarterback in the NFL draft before Derek Carr’s shoulder injury came to light. But now that the veteran passer’s future with the team is in jeopardy, some believe the Saints will target Shedeur Sanders with the ninth overall pick in the draft.
However, that strategy is far from a given. And in Matt Miller’s final mock draft for ESPN, New Orleans bypasses a QB entirely when on the clock with the ninth pick. “I couldn’t find a single source who thought the Saints would go quarterback in Round 1, and it seems the team would be comfortable with the QB options with its second-round pick (No. 40 overall),” Miller wrote.
Instead of taking a signal caller early, Miller has the Saints selecting Mykel Williams with the ninth pick. The Georgia edge rusher “is rising up boards and could help New Orleans build through the trenches,” Miller added.
The Saints could pass on a QB in the first round for DE Mykel Williams
The Saints endured a number of injuries on offense last season, which contributed to the team’s disappointing 5-12 record. New Orleans missed the playoffs for the fourth straight year. But the Saints hope to rebound in 2025 after hiring new head coach Kellen Moore.
Moore will step into the head coach role after spending the last six seasons as the offensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Chargers and Philadelphia Eagles. He won the Super Bowl with Philadelphia last season.
Moore expected Carr to be the starter in 2025 after the veteran passer restructured his contract this offseason. Now his injury throws his availability into doubt. While most observers believe New Orleans will take a quarterback in the draft, there’s a growing belief that the team will wait on addressing the position, possibly trading back into the first round.
The Saints are rumored to be interested in trading back from the ninth spot in an effort to build draft capital that will allow them to move from the 40th pick into the end of the first round. While that strategy would make it very difficult to land Shedeur Sanders, who will likely be off the board late in the first round, there are a number of passer prospects New Orleans could be targeting.
Williams enjoyed a standout career at Georgia before declaring for the draft. He spent three seasons with the Bulldogs, winning a national title in 2022 and racking up 14 sacks, 67 total tackles, four passes defended and three forced fumbles.
