Could Saints host Tennessee reunion with their Draft?

The New Orleans Saints have been connected to a powerful offensive college football connection. It's very possible the Saints end up with both talented players.

The 2023 NFL Draft is right around the corner, and as a result, speculation is at an all-time high, as of course is tradition. The New Orleans Saints are of course no exception, and Saints fans should be excited, as there's a chance their team may end up with a something of a Dixieland reunion on their hands as a result of the Draft.

On Wednesday, the Saints are set to meet with wide receiver Jalin Hyatt out of the University of Tennessee, who is one of the more slept-on wide receiver prospects in a loaded class despite being the 2022 Biletnikoff Award winner. There is an excellent chance he's there for the Saints to take at 29, but he isn't the only Volunteer linked to the Saints.

Hyatt's quarterback at Tennessee, Hendon Hooker, has also been connected to the Saints, and that is where things get juicy. Before his season-ending knee injury, Hooker was looking like the run-away Heisman favorite, with Tennessee looking like National Champion favorites as well.

Alas, here we are, and Hooker looks like he may dip out of the first round all-together, despite reports that he's flying up boards. If this happens, the Saints should absolutely try to strike on Hooker and/or Hyatt of course, but especially Hooker.

Yes, the Saints have Derek Carr, but that doesn't mean they can't have a backup plan, especially one that they can groom and mold in the mean time. Not all franchise quarterbacks are first-round picks, as Jalen Hurts has proven, and there's also this to consider:

The Saints also haven't drafted a quarterback in the first round since ARCHIE MANNING IN 1971. He also had his heart in Dixie by way of Ole Miss, so the Saints taking Hooker late-ish wouldn't be outside the realm of possiblity when you consider their history.

If the New Orleans Saints could land one of these two former Tennessee Volunteers, it would be cause for excitement. If they can land both, it's cause for celebration. Obviously a lot can change between now and Draft time, but this is certainly an uplifting sign.