The New Orleans Saints have a new starting quarterback for the first time since 2006 when Drew Brees came to town and took over the reins. While there are mixed reviews for Jameis Winston and/or Taysom Hill, there’s a chance the Saints could take a quarterback in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, since they elected not to take a first-round signal-caller in this year’s draft.
This could happen if Winston and Hill both underwhelm as the starters and especially if the Saints are a bad team because of it. If they land in the top 10 picks, a quarterback being selected almost seems imminent.
The Saints could also be forced to draft a quarterback if the opposite happens. If Winston plays really well and lands a huge deal elsewhere (the Saints won’t be able to afford to pay him what he’ll deserve), then New Orleans will be in the same boat, but in a worse spot to do so, as they won’t be picking in the top 10.
If the New Orleans Saints find themselves in a spot where they have to draft a quarterback next year, who are some options? Let’s take a look.
Quarterbacks for New Orleans Saints in 2022 NFL Draft – No. 3: Matt Corral
Matt Corral has the potential to make a big leap from where he probably would land on the draft board right now to when the draft is actually taking place. He was a four-star recruit per 247 Sports coming out of high school and chose to attend Ole Miss where he’s put up respectable numbers.
Corral threw for 3,337 yards, 29 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions as a junior last year. He obviously needs to improve on the turnovers, as 14 interceptions won’t cut it in the NFL anymore, at least not if you want to stay with your team long-term.
As of now, Corral is probably a Day 2 prospect but he could make the leap into the first round with an awesome senior season. As mentioned above, he’ll need to throw fewer picks this year and 3,337 yards in the explosive SEC isn’t all that impressive.
Corral has tons he needs to work on but with Hill staying in New Orleans for the foreseeable future, he could always serve as a mentor if need be. This seems to be the trend with NFL teams these days.
Quarterbacks for New Orleans Saints in 2022 NFL Draft – No. 2: Desmond Ridder
It’s a lot of fun imagining Desmond Ridder in Sean Payton’s offense. The Cincinnati Bearcat signal-caller is entering his senior year and looks to stake his claim as a first-round quarterback. Right now, he’s probably a solid Day 2 quarterback but an impressive senior campaign can propel him into the first round.
Ridder needs to improve his passing skills but he’s an excellent runner, totaling 1,825 yards and 22 touchdowns on the ground in his three-year career. He rushed for 592 yards and 12 touchdowns last year for the Bearcats while throwing for 2,296 yards, 19 touchdowns, and six interceptions.
Payton has shown that he loves versatile quarterbacks (case in point: Taysom Hill) and Ridder is that guy. Just imagine all of the fun plays Payton would cook up for the Saints offense with Ridder under center. It’d make the Saints’ offense must-see TV.
While Ridder needs some fine-tuning before he can start in the NFL, that’s what his senior season is for. The hope is that he can improve on his passing and if so, he should hear his name called in the first round and could potentially be available around wherever the Saints are drafting.
Quarterbacks for New Orleans Saints in 2022 NFL Draft – No. 1: Sam Howell
Landing Sam Howell might not be all that simple, as the Tar Heels quarterback looks to be a top-five (maybe the No. 1 overall) quarterback. The Saints might not be a playoff team in 2021 but they’re not going to be bad enough to land a top-five draft pick unless something catastrophic takes place.
Howell had a nice season in 2020, throwing for 3,586 yards, 30 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. His 2019 season was even better, as he tossed 3,641 yards, 38 touchdowns, and seven picks. Howell isn’t much of a runner, but he did find the end zone with his legs five times last year.
As of now, Howell is considered one of the best quarterback prospects in the 2022 NFL Draft with Spencer Rattler being up at the top with him. I didn’t include Rattler for this list because he seems to be the likely option to go No. 1 due to playing at Oklahoma and being more mobile.
Howell is more similar to Drew Brees and that could be what draws the Saints to him. It won’t be easy to get him in next year’s draft but if the team performs poorly, the one benefit to that would be that the North Carolina signal-caller would be there for the taking.
There’s no guarantee that the New Orleans Saints will draft a quarterback next year but it’s certainly a possibility, especially with Winston only signing for one year. Whether he performs really poorly or really well, the Saints might not bring him back for 2022, meaning a quarterback would need to be on the agenda in next year’s draft.
Ian Book isn’t the answer for this team moving forward so if the Saints do like a quarterback in next year’s draft, they should make it a point to aggressively target him.