ESPN predicts Saints will make bold choice to replace Derek Carr

While New Orleans Saints quarterback Derek Carr may have finished the season strong, his overall impact on the team was considered underwhelming by many. The Saints missed the playoffs once again despite being in the worst division the NFL has to offer.

Carr, in the middle of an expensive four-year contract, completed 68.8% of his passes while throwing for 3,878 yards. With 25 touchdowns and just eight interceptions, his 97.7 passer rating was the third-best mark of his career. Still, many are preparing for the post-Carr era.

ESPN's Matt Miller had the Saints picking at No. 10 overall in his 2025 NFL Mock Draft. Despite the consensus opinion that 2025 is a much weaker class for quarterbacks, the Saints, in Miller's eye, will place a priority on finding Carr's long-term replacement with a premium pick.

In this mock, the Saints are taking Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers. The Longhorns star would be the third quarterback off the board in this scenario behind Georgia's Carson Beck and Colorado Shedeur Sanders. Ewers may be the riskiest of those prospects for New Orleans.

Saints to draft Texas QB Quinn Ewers in 2025 NFL Mock Draft

Ewers completed 69% of his passes for 22 touchdowns and six interceptions. However, the former No. 1 overall recruit benefitted from a very easy, loaded Longhorns offense that saw Xavier Worthy (Chiefs), Adonai Mitchell (Colts), and Ja'Tavion Sanders (Panthers) all get drafted.

The completion percentage number is a bit of a misnomer, as Ewers received a verbal lashing from Longhorns fans regularly for inaccurate deep throws and being bailed out by excellent wide receiver play. Often very loose with his mechanics, Ewers is very inconsistent from game to game.

The biggest strengths Ewers has in his back pocket are related to his excellent arm talent and ability to fit throws into tight windows. Even though he's a bit skinnier than most elite quarterbacks, his whip-like arm and solid instincts for making plays when the structure starts to collapse will endear him to fans in New Orleans if they go down this path.

The Saints have used Day 3 draft picks on quarterbacks in consecutive years, taking Fresno State's Jake Haener in 2023 and South Carolina's Spencer Rattler in 2024 as they try to have a backup plan behind Carr. If he plays so poorly that New Orleans is in the Top 10, the logical move would be to cut bait and pick up a player like Ewers.