2021 NFL Mock Drafts love Mac Jones to the Saints

The New Orleans Saints have the No. 28 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, and they could use a quarterback with Drew Brees likely to retire.

After the New Orleans Saints were able to restructure Drew Brees’s contract, they should know the signals are there that he’s set to retire in the coming months.

Brees, 42, has taken significant hits the last few seasons, missing four or more games in both 2019 and 2020. That and the fact that he has an NBC broadcasting deal already guaranteed makes retirement seem like an even sweeter deal.

Who is going to take over for Brees?

With the New Orleans Saints not having needed to search for a quarterback in the last decade and a half, they’ll be looking both internally and externally for who will take over the future of the franchise.

While many will want Jameis Winston to take over the organization, Winston may have his fair share of suitors that are offering him much larger contracts.

However, those suitors are dropping like flies as both the Rams and Colts have found their future quarterback via trade within the last few weeks. That said, Winston could easily head to Pittsburgh or Carolina, having the Saints searching elsewhere for their starting signal-caller.

At the end of the day, they’ll have Taysom Hill to rely on as he is under contract, but the goal is to get a long-term option. It doesn’t seem likely that Sean Payton thinks that is Hill after saying that Winston is in the “driver’s seat.”

Assuming they head to the draft, the perfect player to add is Alabama’s Mac Jones. According to 247Sports, both new Pro Football Focus and NFL Network mock drafts have Jones heading to the Big Easy.

One of the most accurate quarterbacks in college football, Jones was a Heisman finalist and helped the Crimson Tide win the national championship, destroying the Ohio State Buckeyes who defeated the projected No. 1 pick Trevor Lawrence and the Clemson Tigers.

Jones ended the season with 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns. With a 41-to-4 touchdown to interception ratio, Jones was easily the most accomplished collegiate quarterback this past season.

He’s not expected to one of the first four taken off the board though. Trey Lance, Lawrence, Justin Fields, and Zach Wilson are all expected to be top-20 picks, leaving Jones as the perfect draft pick for a team like New Orleans.

If the Saints land Jones, that’s a win for both sides, but given that they’ve only drafted one quarterback in the first round in franchise history, they may opt to go with a cornerback, linebacker, or safety instead.