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Best draft quarterback fits for Saints head coach Kellen Moore

Apr 20, 2025 | 12:23 PM

By Ross Jackson

It looks like the smoke around the New Orleans Saints and Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders is starting to dissipate, which either means that the Saints have successfully knocked media off of its trail or media is simply catching up to where they’ve been all along.

The need for a quarterback feels like it should have become emphasized after the news that the Saints may be without starting quarterback Derek Carr in 2025. However, there doesn’t seem to be much desperation around the Saints, as if their draft plans are moving forward unchanged.

The Saints are typically loyal to their draft board, which may be what leads them away from a quarterback at No. 9 overall in lieu of a player that sits higher up on their rankings, regardless of position. 

Should that happen, it doesn’t mean that the Saints will leave the draft without a quarterback. New Orleans could still trade up later or look to take a swing at a passer later. Here are three quarterbacks that may be the best fits for new head coach Kellen Moore and how the Saints could get them in this year’s draft.

Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart

New Orleans could shock everyone and take Dart at No. 9 overall. It would be a surprise to us, too, even though Moore traveled personally to see Dart’s pro day in Oxford, Mississippi. It’s undeniable that the passer-coach pairing is nearly a perfect match.

Dart’s measurables are very similar to Moore’s last quarterback, Jalen Hurts. Hurts and Moore won a Super Bowl together as a duo with the Philadelphia Eagles last year. That recent success may make it tough for Moore to pass up on such a prototypically similar quarterback. 

Jaxson Dart: 6-foot-2, 223 pounds

Jalen Hurts: 6-foot-1, 222 pounds

Dart will have some leaps to make in the league and may not be a day one starter (much like Hurts), but for different reasons. Hurts was seen as an excellent talent, but less refined as a passer. He has developed while playing over the last few years and reached a new peak in 2024 working with Moore because of the coach’s trust in his legs and playmaking ability and also in his work as a passer. The Eagles flipped their run-heavy script and dismantled the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl thanks to Hurts’ arm.

Dart has a different challenge being in Lane Kiffin’s Ole Miss offense, which is filled with half-field reads. He’ll have to prove that he can be just as effective in a full-field offense at the next level. But his ability to play out of structure and pick up yards on the ground could make him a good fit in a play action and RPO-heavy offense under Moore.

Where would the Saints draft Dart?

He is perhaps an option at No. 9 overall or could be a target to be taken following a trade from No. 40 overall back into the first round.

Alabama QB Jalen Milroe

Milroe has similar knocks in his game as Hurts did coming into the NFL. He’s a less-refined passer, but his playmaking ability with the ball in his hands will quickly become one of the league’s biggest threats once he gets on the field. If teams can help Milroe develop as a passer, particularly in the short and intermediate areas, they will have one of the league’s most dynamic athletes at the league’s most important position.

The Saints’ offensive coaching staff is built to foster the development and growth of a young passer. The team’s head coach, offensive coordinator (Doug Nussmeier) and quarterbacks coach (Scott Tolzien) are all former NFL quarterbacks themselves. That’s typically the sign of a staff ready to support a young quarterback and generate his progress. Milroe may also be further along than some are comfortable giving him credit after a change of scheme last year.

Milroe’s Passer Rating By Depth In 2024, Per Pro Football Focus

  • 20+ yards: 104.2
  • 11-19 yards: 88.7
  • 0-10 yards: 88.9
  • Behind LOS: 89.9

Milroe’s 6-foot-1 and 217-pound frame also puts him in Hurts territory regarding size. He’s physical and can run through tacklers just as well as he can use his 4.4-second speed to get around.

Where would the Saints draft Milroe?

Day 2, Pick No. 40 would be the safest bet, but if they’re willing to wait and see, No. 71 in the third round could be an option if he falls.

Louisville QB Tyler Shough

Shouh has been one of the more intriguing passers in this year’s class. Some believe he’s the most pro-ready prospect (the same was said about Desmond Ridder in 2022). Others think he’ll be nothing more than a backup at best in the league. The 26-year-old passer is a potential fit for Moore in a different way from Dart and Milroe.

Moore found a lot of success with Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott in the 2021 and 2022 seasons. In both years, the Cowboys finished 12-5 on the season, and Prescott was more of a pocket passer than he’d been in his career up to that point. In 2020, the Cowboys’ passer suffered a gruesome lower leg injury that ended his season. Upon returning in 2021, his game changed.

Prescott went from rushing yards per game averages of 17.6, 22.3, 19.1, 17.3 and 18.6 respectively between 2016 and 2020 to 9.1 and 15.2 in 2022 and 2023. He was never the most explosive runner, but the contributions from his legs definitely saw a dip.

Shough is not the most mobile passer in this class. In fact, he may be one of the furthest from it. But he does have a strong arm, good processing ability and experience in a more pro style offense. All of which can benefit a quarterbacks’ transition from college to the pros. If Moore wants his Saints offense to replicate what he did with the Cowboys more than what he did in Philadelphia, Shough could be more appealing for what he wants to execute.

Shough has some concerning stuff on tape under pressure, however, something that’s hard to shake at the next level.

Where would the Saints draft Shough?

Anywhere from a trade up into the first round to a late day two draft pick. Shough’s draft projections and stock are all over the place.

Check out more of our Saints coverage.

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