ESPN predicts New Orleans Saints to draft QB in 1st round

In a recently released mock draft, an ESPN analyst had the New Orleans Saints selecting Utah State quarterback Jordan Love with the 24th overall pick.

With the loss in the Wild Card to the Minnesota Vikings, the New Orleans Saints have been given the 24th overall pick in the upcoming 2020 NFL Draft. Several mock drafts have been released, but a recent one has Saints fans wondering — “Who are we picking?”

ESPN analyst, Mel Kiper, released his own “2020 NFL Mock Draft 1.0” yesterday, and he has the New Orleans Saints selecting what many would consider a nobody. Most fans want the Saints to address the issues with the demise of the secondary and any receiver not named Michael Thomas.

However, Kiper suggests that the Saints should quickly replace Teddy Bridgewater first. After the season that Bridgewater had, it is all but certain that the Saints won’t have the money to be able to keep him as a backup assuming Drew Brees re-signs with the team.

With his departure imminent, ESPN suggests the New Orleans Saints should jump on Utah State quarterback, Jordan Love with its 24th overall pick. This might have you asking, “Who even is Jordan Love?”

The junior out of Utah State has had a stellar college career. In three years, he’s completed 689 passes (230 per year), 8,600 yards (2, 867 per year), and 60 touchdowns (20 per year) with only 29 interceptions (9.7 per year). He has also rushed for nine touchdowns as well.

Love is a quality quarterback to look at in the first round. Obviously, this assumes that Joe Burrow (LSU), Tua Tagovailoa (Alabama), and Justin Herbert (Oregon) are all off the table at this point.

ESPN analyst Mel Kiper had this to say about Love.

"At 6-foot-4, 225 pounds, Love can make every throw, and NFL teams are high on his talent. He could be a first-round pick with a strong pre-draft process, which started at the Senior Bowl. As for the Saints, this pick is all about projection. There’s no guarantee that 41-year-old Drew Brees will return in 2020, and Teddy Bridgewater is also a free agent. Love could develop for a year or two behind a bridge quarterback. New Orleans, by the way, doesn’t have a second-round pick, so it needs to hit here."

The New Orleans Saints could very well favor out with Jordan Love at this pick. He would be a great backup for Drew Brees for a couple of years and be groomed to take over as the New Orleans Saints starting quarterback.