New Orleans Saints Draft: Finding The Right QB Of The Future

Another offseason and yet another Drew Brees contract year. Go figure. Perhaps it’s too early to play the “will he or won’t he” game. That’s probably true…

However, it’s never too early to talk about the NFL Draft. Especially, when your franchise QB is approaching 40 years old. Inevitably, the Saints will have to get another QB somewhere pretty soon. Drew Brees has made comments previously that he can see himself playing football for another 3-4 years. The truth is though, the more likely scenario is that someone new will come in by 2018 or 2019 at the latest. The facts have supported this over and over. Even if Who Dat Nation doesn’t want to believe it.

So the question is will the Saints draft a QB in 2017 and what round? This article from Cleveland.com by Rich Axner explains how high picks for quarterbacks isn’t a guarantee for success. These numbers are simply astounding.

What are the odds of success? To get an idea we looked back at the 45 quarterbacks chosen in the first round over the previous 16 drafts starting with the return of the Cleveland Browns in 1999.

17 of these quarterbacks (38 percent) have won a playoff game.

16 of the 45 (36 percent) have winning records as starters during the regular season.

The career passer ratings for only a half-dozen of these quarterbacks is high enough to be ranked in the top half of the league this season.

Now this article was written in 2015, but it shows that there is a certain imaginative impulse of front offices to bank on high draft picks. The answer is a bit perplexing. Moreover, with the success of Russell Wilson and the hot rookie Dak Prescott from Dallas. How can anyone really make sense of it? Did the scouts get it wrong? The fact is, that physical measurements, throwing velocity, and draft stock isn’t everything.

More than ever, the trend seems to be changing dramatically current day. Not only are quarterbacks are having success in later rounds, but smaller schools are also delivering. Philadelphia Eagles QB Carson Wentz is one example. Throw in Joe Flacco from Delaware and Tony Romo from Eastern Illinois. None of those schools are gonna show up on ESPN’s game of the week.

So where does this leave the Saints? The Saints’ scouts better have every single eye out in every corner of the United States. Maybe add Canada to that as well. Some will call it luck. Some will call it good fortune. In the long run, this decision can haunt teams for a long time if the player is missed. On the other hand, finding that “diamond in the rough” can revise any franchise.