The New Orleans Saints have been in something of a state of limbo at the quarterback position since the retirement of Drew Brees. From Taysom Hill to Jameis Winston to Derek Carr, things have not worked out to a point of true satisfaction in the quest to replace an NFL legend — or even have someone consistently competent under center.
Now the Saints have drafted a quarterback for two consecutive seasons, taking Fresno State product Jake Haener last year and South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler in 2024. While Haener has shown promise at times and Rattler provides reason for optimism after the way he turned things around at South Carolina — despite poor pass-protection and a supporting cast that was nothing to write home about — neither of them should keep the Saints from drafting a quarterback high if they’re picking near the top of 2025’s first round.
Until any of these prospects fully prove themselves as the Saints’ signal-caller of the future, the jury is still out. So much so that Draft Wire’s Curt Popejoy has the Saints picking Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers at No. 11 overall in his way-too-early 2025 NFL mock draft.
If the Saints are picking this highly next year, it’s safe to assume things didn’t pan out with Carr at quarterback in 2024, in addition to multiple other areas. Ewers has shown some upside, coming up just short of leading his team to a national title game appearance in December.
Ewers earned praise for his overall accuracy and ball placement, though some scouts have questioned his ability to maintain his mechanics on the run and perform under pressure. How he addresses these things, where his stock ultimately stands on draft day, and if he indeed is a Saint by this time next year will all be things to watch moving forward. There’s a possibility he ends up being a match for New Orleans in 2025.
