In the 2024 NFL Draft, the Atlanta Falcons shocked everyone when they drafted Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth-overall pick. Atlanta had just signed Kirk Cousins to a massive four-year deal, so no one expected the team to be taking a quarterback, at least not that early. The decision is still a bit surprising a year later, even though Penix is now QB1 for the Falcons.
With that precedent being set, no one really knows what to expect come draft time. Could a team in the top 10 leave everyone’s mouth open with a shocking selection this year? Longtime draft analyst Mel Kiper thinks so. In his latest 2025 mock draft, he predicted a similar move, at almost the same spot.
Kiper sees the New Orleans Saints drafting quarterback Jaxson Dart with the ninth-overall pick in the draft. That would certainly be something not many people, outside of Kiper, saw coming.
Saints select Jaxson Dart in Mel Kiper’s latest mock draft
New Orleans definitely needs a long-term answer at quarterback, so this selection isn’t shocking on that front. Even though the team just committed to Derek Carr for another season, his time with the Saints is nearing an end, as he hasn’t proven to be the answer. It also wouldn’t be a shock if New Orleans took a quarterback at No. 9; several analysts have said it’s a possibility that Shedeur Sanders could slide to the Saints.
The surprise with this selection is it being Jaxson Dart at No. 9. Dart started the pre-draft process as a day-two selection, but his stock has consistently improved, with many analysts predicting he’ll sneak into the bottom of the first round. Ninth overall is far from the bottom of the first, so if his name is called then, everyone would be surprised by New Orleans’ decision.
If the Saints believe Dart is their guy, they definitely should go and get him, but they should also work the draft better. The team would likely be able to trade back and still select him, or trade into the end of the first round to draft him. There’s even a possibility that New Orleans can draft one player at No. 9, and select Dart in the second round without even having to move. Whatever the approach, taking Dart at nine seems like a reach at this point of the pre-draft process.