After going undrafted over the weekend, JT Barrett is about to be part of an actual NFL roster. The former Ohio State quarterback is set to sign with the New Orleans Saints, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
Former Ohio State QB J.T. Barrett is signing with the Saints, source says. Had an invite to try out for the Colts and had interest from other teams. Heads to New Orleans where it’s Tom Savage and Taysom Hill behind Drew Brees.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) May 1, 2018
The Saints worked out Barrett on Monday and beat out other teams who had interest in the former Buckeye, which included the Indianapolis Colts. After Luke McCown’s retirement a couple weeks ago, Barrett is now set to compete with Tom Savage and Taysom Hill for the Saints’ backup quarterback spot behind undisputed starter Drew Brees for this upcoming season.
Barrett had a tremendous college career in Columbus, where he went 35-6 as a starter over four years and holds tens of school and Big Ten records. He was instrumental in the Buckeyes’ march to the first-ever College Football Playoff championship back in 2015. He started basically the entire regular season for OSU but unfortunately suffered a broken ankle late in the year and missed out on the playoff itself.
The dual-threat quarterback accounted for 47 touchdowns (35 passing, 12 rushing) last season, which was tied for second in the nation behind Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 overall pick Baker Mayfield. He also threw for a career-high 3,053 yards while completing nearly 65 percent of his passes.
Barrett has a lot of development to do in terms of his passing ability to even be considered a starting quarterback in the league. But he does have impressive mobility and can make plays with his legs, which is likely the main source of the Saints’ interest in him as a backup.
