The Saints could have their sights set on a quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft

The New Orleans Saints currently have the No. 14 pick in the NFL Draft. After a mediocre 9-8 season, missing the playoffs for the third straight year, New Orleans has found a way to retain most of its veteran players and made a few minor signings in free agency. Aside from defensive end Chase Young, most of the free agency signings can be viewed as depth pieces.

That’s ok, though, because New Orleans is set up to build through the 2024 NFL Draft. With the team’s top needs being offensive tackle, edge defender, and receiver, the Saints are lucky, because this draft class is deep at each position. New Orleans could select one of these positions in the first round at No. 14, then come back in the second round and select one of the other positions at No. 45.

However, that plan may not be set in stone. ESPN’s draft analysts recently did a piece detailing all the buzz they’re hearing as the draft approaches. Something that Jordan Reid highlighted is that New Orleans is a sleeper team to watch that could target a quarterback in the first two rounds.

Saints named a team that could draft a quarterback early

Reid explained that New Orleans does have Derek Carr under contract for the next years, however, with Carr’s health concerns and average play, the Saints should be developing a succession plan. Additionally, the Saints need a backup quarterback. After losing Jameis Winston to the Cleveland Browns, New Orleans only has Nathan Peterman and Jake Haener.

Reid did make it clear, though, that the Saints are unlikely to use their first-round pick on a quarterback, saying to watch New Orleans at pick No. 45 instead. That makes sense, because it’s unlikely New Orleans drafts a quarterback in the first round, unless one of the top guys slide.

The guys that are expected to be available early in the second round are Oregon’s Bo Nix, Washington’s Michael Penix Jr., and South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler. The Saints will have to ask themselves if it’s worth going after these guys when their will still be elite prospects available at other positions of need.

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