As the New Orleans Saints try to rebuild themselves back into a contender, they have a ton of things they need to get figured out. Priority No. 1 is finding a head coach. While nothing is official yet, the expectation is that New Orleans will hire Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore after the Super Bowl. From there, the team will focus on reshaping the roster.
Due to New Orleans’ cap situation, they aren’t expected to be big players in free agency. That means the 2025 NFL Draft will be especially important for the franchise. Fortunately, after a 5-12 season, the Saints will be picking near the top of every round, starting with the ninth-overall pick.
ESPN’s Matt Miller recently predicted what New Orleans would do with its first two draft picks in his latest two-round mock draft. Miller sees the Saints going offense with both picks, selecting wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan with the ninth-overall pick, and quarterback Jaxson Dart with the No. 40 pick.
Saints select Tetairoa McMillan and Jaxson Dart in latest ESPN mock draft
Those are two selections that would certainly generate a ton of excitement amongst Saints fans. McMillan is arguably the best wide receiver prospect in the draft, and he’d fill a huge need in New Orleans. Miller broke that down when explaining how McMillan would fit great with Chris Olave.
"Chris Olave is great when healthy (he played only eight games this past season), but the Saints lack impact receivers beyond him. That's why the 6-foot-5 McMillan could fit. He can win deep down the field and gain even more yards after the catch. His range and ability to win 50-50 balls reminds me of the Falcons' Drake London, who was a first-round pick in 2022."Matt Miller (ESPN)
The talented receiver has frequently been mocked to New Orleans, so it’s safe to assume he’s really in play for the Saints at No. 9. Jaxson Dart, on the other hand, is a new wrinkle. Not many mock drafts go beyond the first round, but the Saints selecting a QB like Dart at No. 40 makes sense.
Miller highlights the obvious: Derek Carr’s future with the team is in question, and the Saints are still searching for a QB of the future. With Dart’s impressive tools, he could end up being that guy.
"Dart likely needs to sit for a year to learn NFL concepts -- he had some initial struggles at Senior Bowl practices -- but he throws a beautiful deep ball and has plus-level tools that will help him start in the future."Matt Miller (ESPN)
It’s still incredibly early in the pre-draft process, with the combine, pro days, and team visits all still ahead. However, the duo of Tetairoa McMillan and Jaxson Dart in the first two rounds are definitely prospects for the Saints to think about.