Miami quarterback Cam Ward watches a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Saturday, March 1, 2025. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
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PALM BEACH, Fla. — Before he flew in for the NFL owners’ meetings, Kellen Moore had already logged plenty of travel. Last week, the New Orleans Saints coach was at the University of Miami on Monday. Two days later, he was spotted at Ohio State. Then, on Saturday, he was at Ole Miss. Moore, now leading his own team for the first time, was on the Pro Day circuit to observe prospects for the NFL draft later this month.
And it wasn’t a coincidence the schools shared a type of prospect for Moore to see.
“We all know that I’m a quarterback guy,” Moore said.
This draft cycle, the Saints appear to be doing heavy research on the top quarterbacks in this class — even after restructuring Derek Carr’s contract this offseason to ensure he returns next season. Moore’s visits only further reinforce the idea.
New Orleans, too, has taken quarterbacks in back-to-back drafts with Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener. But this year, the Saints hold the ninth overall pick — their highest selection since 2008 — and have the kind of draft capital that could help them move up even higher, if need be. Drafting a rookie quarterback, particularly one in the first or second round, would also give Moore the chance to pick his own signal-caller after inheriting the others.
Moore, a former quarterback at Boise State and then the NFL, said the research isn’t out of the norm.
“Every team in the NFL is always trying to bring in quarterbacks and develop them under any circumstance,” Moore said. “And so everyone does homework every year on quarterbacks. It’s a very valuable position.
“So obviously, we feel like we have Derek — who’s played a ton of football and we feel great about. Then certainly, our organization has invested in quarterbacks the last few years. “
Moore said where he visits in person is decided on by college scouting director and assistant general manager Jeff Ireland. And it would make sense for Ireland to want to lean on Moore’s particular area of expertise, even if the coach is also evaluating plenty of other positions besides the one he played in college and the NFL.
At Miami, Moore was on hand to watch Cam Ward — largely regarded as this class’ top quarterback. Moore was part of a notable contingent sent by the Saints, including Ireland and offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier. Speaking generally, Moore said he looks for a “certain threshold” and wants to understand how they grasp the “classroom” aspect of the game.
“You spend as much time with these guys as you can,” Moore said.
If the Saints want to draft Ward, they’ll almost certainly have to trade up to grab him. Ward is the favorite to go first overall to the Tennnesee Titans, though Titans coach Brian Callahan didn’t dismiss the idea of trading the pick this week for the right offer.
"We're open to everything at this point," Callahan told reporters. "If it's something you feel is beyond the value you ever thought you could get, that's one thing. But you also have to look at what a potential quarterback could look like. Those guys, to me, are priceless."
Elsewhere, Moore observed Ohio State’s Will Howard and Mississippi’s Jaxson Dart — the latter of whom is often ranked right after Ward and Colorado’s Shadeur Sanders. Both players have extended starting experience, a trait becoming more common in college football with longer periods of eligibility. Howard, for instance, has 43 college starts — 27 over four years with Kansas City and then 16 with Ohio State.
Moore believes there’s value in the additional reps, adding he thinks quarterbacks don’t peak until their early 30s.
“Bo Nix was a great example,” Moore said, referring to the Denver Broncos starter who thrived as a rookie after 61 college starts. “Older guy, but he’s played a lot of football.”
The Saints’ research on the position isn’t an indication they are ready for the Carr era to be over. Again on Tuesday, Moore reiterated his excitement to coach the starter and said he believes those feelings are reciprocated even amid reports that the 34-year-old was open to a change of scenery this offseason. Moore also spoke highly of Rattler, calling the 2024 fifth-rounder a ‘“really good player” who he’s excited to build up after a challenging first year.
Even then, and even with other glaring needs on the roster, the Saints could still take another swing at the position. That’s been their pattern of late, and Moore presents a new set of eyes for the rest of the team’s brass.
“It’s a good class,” Moore said. “I think (there are) different skill sets. That’s the important aspect of it, is identifying stylistically how all of them play and what best suits them.”