We shouldn’t expect the New Orleans Saints to stop tweaking their quarterbacks depth chart after re-signing Jameis Winston. His two-year contract sets him up to be a bridge between the team and the next face of the franchise — and while he could play well enough to earn that opportunity himself, it’s also possible the Saints are working to find his replacement. In his latest 2022 NFL mock draft for ESPN, Mel Kiper has New Orleans in a fine position at No. 18 overall with every draft-eligible quarterback still on the board.
That means the Saints took the best available passer, which in Kiper’s opinion was Pitt Panthers prospect Kenny Pickett. Here’s what he wrote of the match:
“The Saints tried and failed to add Deshaun Watson, so are they definitely committed to Jameis Winston now? I don’t think so. If the board shakes out this way — with all of the passers available — why shouldn’t they take Pickett? He’s the most NFL-ready of the bunch, leveling up last season with 42 touchdown passes and just seven interceptions. He is super accurate. He understands how to run an offense and lead a team. He could be the Saints’ future.
This is a strange quarterback class, and the range on when Pickett and Malik Willis come off the board varies from everyone I talk to in the league. No one knows for sure. I would not be shocked if either of them fell into New Orleans’ lap here.”
