We’re quickly approaching the start of the 2022 college football season, so it’s a good time to brush up on which prospects could get on the New Orleans Saints’ radar in the fall, even if they’re working without their first-round pick. And the latest 2023 NFL mock draft from Luke Easterling over at Draft Wire has added another name to our watch list: Miami Hurricanes quarterback Tyler Van Dyke, who posted the ACC’s second-best passer rating in 2021.
Van Dyke, an underclassman, impressed by throwing 25 touchdown passes against just 6 interceptions in nine games last year, relieving D’Eriq King after the starter went down with a season-ending injury. He’s shown enough anticipation and accurate ball placement that suggests he can compete at a pro level, though another year leading the Hurricanes should do well for his development. His new head coach Mario Cristobal has sent passers like Justin Herbert to the NFL, and he made that exact comparison between Herbert and Van Dyke over the summer.
Cristobal praised his quarterback during a June appearance on The Herd with Colin Cowherd, saying “He’s incredible. I mean, an exceptional leader. He’s a relentless-pursuit-of-excellence guy, his decision making is on point, his accuracy, his arm strength. He understands protections, the run game. He is a complete player. He really is and he’s very mobile. His pocket presence is off the charts. He understands the offense as well as anybody I’ve been around. He reminds me a lot of what we had at Oregon with Justin Herbert.”
Obviously Van Dyke still has a ways to go, and the 2022 season should be instructive. He’s being projected in the second round of mock drafts for good reason. NFL teams have only seen a small sample size from him and will want a full year’s worth of tape to evaluate. As far as how he stacks up against other 2023 prospects, Easterling has six different quarterbacks going inside the first two rounds, with Van Dyke the lowest-ranked player in the group (landing in New Orleans at No. 45 overall).
So while Van Dyke has shown plenty to like at this early stage in his college career, it’s not a sure thing that the Saints will in the quarterback market in the spring. They like what they’ve seen out of Jameis Winston, too, and if he can stay healthy and produce well they could very well stick with him long-term. But it’s on him to display the growth as a passer needed to make that decision. If Winston falls short of expectations, New Orleans could definitely be in the mix for a player like Van Dyke next April.
