Trading into the first round may be best way for Saints to land a QB

By Ross Jackson 

As the New Orleans Saints look to be closing in on a potential quarterback selection in this year’s NFL Draft, many scenarios are beginning to look like viable options for the team. 

They could hope one of the top passers falls to them at the No. 9 overall pick. A more aggressive option would be to package a historic level of trade compensation to move up to the first overall selection, or New Orleans could simply wait until a later round quarterback meets the right value. 

However, the best way for the Saints to land their potential long-term signal caller may be by trading up from the second round and back into the first. By trading back into the first round, New Orleans not only guarantees their selection makes it past the other quarterback-needy teams at the top of the second round, but also secures a fifth-year of cost control on the player’s contract with the fifth-year option. 

The Benefit of the Fifth-Year Option

This extra contract measure would allow the Saints to effectively extend their rookie quarterback contract window for another year, providing them necessary relief post-Derek Carr (the team’s expected starter in 2025) to get back to building the team more aggressively in free agency. 

Who Would be the Target?

The prime candidate for this kind of trade up would be Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart. 

Head coach Kellen Moore was personally in attendance during his pro day, and the team has been connected to him via the Senior Bowl and more. His 6-foot-2, 223 lbs. frame is NFL-ready and he looks to have tremendous potential to pair with a very productive 2024 in Oxford, Miss. 

2024 Stats

• 69.3 completion percentage
• 4,279 passing yards
• 29 passing yards
• 6 interceptions

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