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Saints pass on quarterback in seven-round NFL mock draft

Apr 14, 2025 | 1:57 PM

By Ross Jackson

The New Orleans Saints may be without their starting quarterback for 2025 after Derek Carr suffered a shoulder injury that impacts his outlook for the season. In fact, they could be without him moving forward, as it’s possible he’s played his last snap as the team’s quarterback. Despite all of that, the team may not sprint to reach for a quarterback in this year’s NFL Draft.

To build off of that exercise, here is a full seven-round mock draft looking at that possibility for the Saints. The team, in this hypothetical, could focus instead on rebuilding its roster and preparing for what is expected to be a lot of roster turnover ahead of the 2026 season.

The risk here is that New Orleans would pass on this quarterback class with no guarantees regarding the 2026 crop, potentially stifling their chances of landing a franchise passer for another year. But if they are not in love with an option in this year’s draft, they shouldn’t rush to take one and could instead look to evaluate second-year passer Spencer Rattler or third-year quarterback Jake Haener.

Round 1, Pick 9 – Arizona WR Tetairoa McMillan

While there have been some questions about the Arizona wideout because of his years-old statements on not watching film by himself, it seems any of those early concerns have been alleviated. NFL team’s still very much see McMillan as the top wide receiver, and the Saints could use someone of his style to help complement their offense.

Giving your young quarterback a 6-foot-4 and 200 plus pound wide receiver that can win 50-50 balls and be a dominant force on offense is always a good idea. Add in his ability to complement other wide receivers on the roster like Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed and the newly-reacquired Brandin Cooks makes the value of this selection far too good to pass.

Round 2, Pick 40 – Ohio State RB TreVeyon Henderson

Henderson checks every box for a running back—he catches out of the backfield, runs effectively between the tackles, and has elite burst to outrun defenders. He averaged 4.43 yards after contact per carry last season, which is a home run hitting metric. Henderson can also be on the field on passing downs because of his ability to contribute as a pass blocker.

Henderson could pair well with starter Alvin Kamara, but continue to develop into a potential featured role in the offense after Kamara eventually hangs up the cleats.

Round 3, Pick 71 – Georgia OL Tate Ratledge

Continuing to build the offense can’t go any further without investing in the offensive line, and this is the perfect opportunity to grab an outstanding Georgia lineman. He’s athletic, he’s mean, and he’s scheme versatile. He’s a great pick for new head coach Kellen Moore, who’s offense will be multiple and balanced. Ratledge could be a plug-and-play starter immediately or develop further throughout his rookie contract to take on a larger set of responsibilities next year.

Round 3, Pick 93 – UCLA EDGE Oluwafemi Oladejo

It’s just as important to build the defense as it is to build the offense for the team’s future. Oladejo would be an excellent fit as a stand up, speed rusher in new defensive coordinator Brandon Staley’s defense. 

Staley got great production out of veteran pass rusher Leonard Floyd and Oladejo compares well in terms of build and skill set. New Orleans may have re-signed defensive end Chase Young, but the team should still be looking to add talent to the defensive line with changes on the way in coming years.

Round 4, Pick 112 – Texas S Andew Mukuba

One way to help your quarterback on defense is to keep points off the opposing offense’s scoreboard. Another way is to get the ball back to your offense with takeaways. Mukuba does both. His combination of deep coverage skills and hard-hitting, heat-seeking tackling ability makes him a highly desirable asset on defense.He led the SEC with five interceptions, a welcome addition to a defense that struggled to take the ball away in the latter half of the 2024 season.

With starters Tyrann Mathieu and Justin Reid set at safety, Mukuba would have time to play a specialized role in 2025, learn the scheme and perhaps step into a larger role in 2026.

Round 4, Pick 131 – LSU EDG Sai’Vion Jones

After adding a standup edge rusher earlier with Oladejo, the Saints could turn to one of the few bigger-bodied pass rushers to help bolster their three-point stance pressure players. Jones measured up at the Combine at 6-foot-5 and 280 pounds. He’s an active pass rusher for this draft range(11.5 career sacks), but really excels as a run defender. As a 3-4 defensive end, Jones could be an excellent addition that helps New Orleans rebound from a No. 31 finish as a run defense in 2024. He has familiarity with Saints defensive line coach Bo Davis as well, who was most recently with the LSU Tigers defense.

Round 6, Pick 184 – UTSA CB Zah Frazier

The Saints have already been connected to Frazier earlier this year thanks to their attendance at his pro day. The 6-foot-2, athletic press-man corner has the type of mentality that Saints scouts have typically honed in on at the position. He’s an underrated prospect, but he has the potential to make quite the leap at the next level with his size, speed, and physical style of play. His six interceptions don’t hurt his outlook either.

Round 7, Pick 248 – Florida WR Elijah Badger

Landing a yards-after-catch threat with return ability at this stage of the draft is a clear win. He may not earn a huge role right away, but the athletic pass-catcher could grow into a contributor. The Saints have a lot of wide receivers that could be headed to free agency next year. Adding more rookie contracts at the position gives them some leverage on spending.

Round 7, Pick 254 – Iowa State OT Jalen Travis

The Cyclones tackle is big (6-foot-7, 341 pounds) and mean, two traits that can’t be taught. Travis is a better pass blocker than run blocker, but much like tackle Josiah Ezirim last year, taking a flyer on a late offensive tackle is a common practice for NFL teams. Travis is a promising practice squad guy to buy in on in the draft.

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