Chase Daniel, co-host of “The Facility” on FS1, feels a Sheduer Sanders/Kellen Moore pairing in New Orleans could revive the stagnant Saints and be a comfortable fit for the rookie QB.
Could the New Orleans Saints Select Shedeur Sanders in Round 1?
Two weeks into the 2024 NFL season, the Saints were one of, if not the surprise team in the league. Coming off back-to-back blowout wins in which the Saints topped 40 points in each contest, head coach Dennis Allen and general manager Mickey Loomis had reason to dream big.
Those dreams unraveled with lightning speed.
Following the promising start, seven straight losses cost Allen his job. The Saints limped to the finish line at 5-12, a nonfactor in an NFC South that was once again lorded over by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
A quick glance at the Saints roster reveals some obvious needs: running back Alvin Kamara will be 30 in July, the same month that defensive end Cameron Jordan turns 36. On the other end of the defensive line, Chase Young is likely to leave in free agency.
The team also needs a wide receiver to pair with Chris Olave and some secondary help with the likes of Mike Evans and Drake London on the Saints’ schedule twice each season.
And then there is quarterback Derek Carr, who just wrapped up his 11th NFL season. Carr will be 34 in March and has had trouble staying healthy throughout his career. The prevailing wisdom is that he likely will not be retained by the club, which will leave Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener as the only QBs on the Saints roster.
But with signs pointing to the eventual hire of Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore as Saints head coach, a former NFL quarterback says one pairing of the team and projected top draft pick will be a perfect match for all involved.
“If you look at (the teams with) those top 7 picks, none of them are a good situation right now,” said Daniel on. “If you go to the Saints (at No. 9)…if Kellen Moore is the head coach, I think that’s the best situation for Shedeur Sanders.”
Moore was a two-time All-American QB at Boise State and spent six years in the NFL with the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys. He began his coaching career in 2018 and has worked as an offensive coordinator with quarterbacks Dak Prescott in Dallas, Justin Herbert in Los Angeles, and Jalen Hurts in Philadelphia.
Sanders has been projected as potentially the first QB to be chosen in the upcoming draft, and much has been made about the influence his father and head coach at Colorado, Deion Sanders, might have on where Shedeur winds up.
Daniel said that while Deion should be kept in the loop due to his stature in the NFL, if a team really feels strongly about drafting Shedeur they should do so “regardless of what Deion says.”
Will that team be the Saints? Barring an unexpected draft day drop like Aaron Rodgers in 2005, Sheduer will be off the board by the time the No. 9 pick rolls around.
Daniel identified five teams picking ahead of New Orleans that need a QB, and although the situation on one of those teams might be far from ideal for Sanders and Coach Prime might not approve, it’s very likely that either the Titans, Browns, Giants, Jets, or Raiders will have their cap handed to the Colorado star on stage in Green Bay on April 24.
KEEP READING: Where Does Sanders Land in Our 2025 NFL Draft QB Rankings?
On the other hand, surprise trades on draft day have become a big part of the draft experience, and maybe the Saints have something up their sleeve. This is, after all, the same franchise that traded an entire draft for the chance to select Heisman Trophy winner Ricky Williams in 1999.
If it happens, Moore’s hiring could kick off a whole new round of draft season intrigue in the Big Easy.
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