After restructuring quarterback Derek Carr’s contract, all but ensuring he’d be their Week 1 starter for the 2005 season, the New Orleans Saints appear to be sitting out this year’s quarterback class.
Unless, of course, they aren’t.
Outside of Kellen Moore’s non-committal introductory press conference, the Saints have pretty consistently stood behind Carr as their best chance at winning right now. But Carr’s first two seasons with New Orleans both have been followed with questions about whether New Orleans would continue to stick with him, which at bare minimum has raised fair questions about the organization’s future at the most important position.
Carr has two more seasons left on his contract, and he is set to count a whopping $69.2 million against the team’s 2026 salary cap thanks to previous restructures. Behind him, the Saints have 2024 fifth-rounder Spencer Rattler and 2023 fourth-rounder Jake Haener as developmental players.
Given their investment in the position, it seems unlikely the Saints — a team with a good many holes to plug and a desire to compete sooner rather than later — will use one of their premium draft assets on a quarterback. And with two recent draft picks with playing experience already on the roster, another developmental pick doesn’t seem to make much sense, either.
But let’s wade through the scenario where they buck conventional wisdom and attempt to secure their future anyway.
The “sell the farm” option: Miami QB Cam Ward
Barring something extraordinary happening, there’s effectively zero chance Ward is there when the Saints pick at No. 9. While there is no such thing as a consensus in scouting players, Ward is widely viewed as the best quarterback in this class, and a team will almost certainly snap him up with one of the top three picks — potentially even the Tennessee Titans, who hold the No. 1 overall selection.
So, if the Saints really wanted Ward, they would have to make a move to get him. And to ensure they got him, they would have to trade up to No. 1, ahead of quarterback-needy teams like the Cleveland Browns and New York Giants.
The last time a team traded from No. 9 to No. 1 was two years ago, when the Carolina Panthers sent a giant package to the Chicago Bears for the top choice — its best offensive player (receiver D.J. Moore), its 2023 first- and second-round picks, its 2024 first-round pick (which turned out to be No. 1 overall) and its 2025 second-round pick — to select Bryce Young. The trade has been universally panned in the aftermath, as Young has struggled to establish himself.
That type of haul is about the going rate for the top pick. And, even in the event of an unexpected Ward slide out of the top 3 picks, the Saints still almost certainly would have to give up multiple first-rounders to move up. New Orleans would have to be utterly convinced that Ward would develop into a high-level quarterback, especially as the team would lack assets to build around him.
Is Ward that guy? It’s tough to say. After stints at Incarnate Word and Washington State, Ward enjoyed a superb 2024 season at Miami, throwing for 39 touchdowns against seven interceptions while finishing fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting. He’s a creative player and a talented thrower. But there does seem to be more risk associated with him than some other recent QB1s.
The wild-card option: Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders
While he is widely considered the next best quarterback prospect in the draft, Sanders’ draft projections are all over the map. Some are pegging him in the top five, others have him as a late first-rounder. Some wonder whether his arm strength translates to the NFL game; others point out his success on vertical throws in college. And this isn’t even getting into the hype that goes with his family lineage as the son of Hall of Famer Deion Sanders.
He’s a polarizing player who may or may not be available when the Saints turn comes around. If he is there, it will be fascinating to see what the Saints do.
At his best, Sanders is a point-guard style of quarterback. He led the NCAA in completion percentage (74%) and finished his two-year run at Colorado with a 71.8% completion percentage. But there are questions about how his skills will translate to the professional game that make him a high-risk, high-reward play.
The buzzy options: Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart, Louisville QB Tyler Shough
Not every year is the same when it comes to the draft, but the way last year’s unfolded may provide some insight. Quarterbacks went off the board with the top three selections, which was expected, but what came next was not. The Falcons shocked people when they selected Michael Penix at No. 8, and then two more quarterbacks went in the next four picks — J.J. McCarthy to Minnesota at No. 10, and Bo Nix to Denver at No. 12.
Six quarterbacks in the first 12 picks, two of whom — Penix and Nix — were projected by some to go as late as Day 2 of the draft. When it comes to quarterbacks, there are risers almost every year, and this year’s versions may be Dart and Shough, who have both generated buzz recently as potential first-rounders.
Dart was a three-year starter at Ole Miss after transferring from USC. He led the Southeastern Conference in passing last season (4,279) and led the country in passer rating (180.7 on the college scale, 122.7 on the NFL scale). He is not big by NFL standards, but he is sturdily built at 6-foot-2, 223. Like Sanders, there are questions about his arm strength.
There’s a lot to like about Shough, who has a prototypical build at 6-5 and 219 pounds and has the ability to push the ball downfield. But there are a lot of drawbacks, too: He suffered three season-ending injuries in college (two broken collarbones, one broken leg), ultimately playing seven seasons at three schools, and he will be a 26-year-old rookie.