The Super Bowl is upon us and while that is exciting for Chiefs and 49ers fans, the rest of the league is relegated to looking at mock drafts. Mock drafts are everywhere these days, and who knows, maybe I’ll even do one myself. Obviously, we do not need to put too much thought into them. However, Daniel Jeremiah of the NFL Network is one of the best in the business, and he has put out his mock draft so I gave it a look.
Bo Nix? Interesting…
Nix had a renaissance after transferring to Oregon and leading the Ducks to double-digit win seasons in his two years in Eugene. After being the butt of jokes for his errant play at Auburn, Nix dazzled in 2023, passing for 4,508 yards and 45 touchdowns and only 3 interceptions.
Nix demonstrated that he could play the quarterback position at a high level as seen in the video below.
That kind of pre-snap recognition will help him at the next level.
With that said, I don’t believe the New Orleans Saints should use a first round pick on him and here are three reasons why:
1. Does Not Help Win Now
The New Orleans Saints missed the playoffs in 2023, but the belief is that they are built to win now. Laugh all you want, but the Saints had the seventh best point differential in the NFL this past season.
Furthermore, the Saints play in the NFC South, which they should be favored to win as the Bucs head into the offseason which could see them lose key contributors like Mike Evans, Lavonte David, Devin White, and even Baker Mayfield. As for the Falcons and Panthers, they are led by first-year coaches with uphill battles.
Speaking of free agents, the Saints head into the 2024 season with several key contributors on the defensive side on the last years of their respective deals. Among them are Demario Davis, Paulson Adebo, Pete Werner, Tyrann Mathieu, and Marcus Maye.
The Saints missed the playoffs in 2023 due to an inconsistent offense. That has led to changes on the offensive side of the ball. Most notably, 49ers passing game coordinator Klint Kubiak will take over as offensive coordinator in place of Pete Carmichael.
It is clear the Saints are positioning themselves to win now and taking a quarterback in the first round would not aid in that.
2. Derek Carr Contract
In addition to winning, making sense of the salary cap is of paramount concern. As we all know, quarterback Derek Carr is making a great deal of money per his contract. Carr signed a 4-year, $150 million contract before the 2023 season which has already been restructured.
Saintswire.com’s John Sigler laid out the mechanics of that here:
Carr was always going to be in New Orleans for at least 2023 and 2024. Restructuring his contract now makes it highly likely he’ll be the quarterback again in 2025. His current deal runs out in 2027. Who knows what the team looks like at that point? Loomis and Dennis Allen could both be gone. But Carr, and all the money they chose to invest in him, will remain. Let’s hope he can carry his strong finish to the 2023 season — Carr led the league in touchdown passes through the final five weeks — over into the years ahead with a new offensive coordinator calling plays, making this big contract a little more palatable.
https://saintswire.usatoday.com/2024/02/02/saints-restructure-derek-carr-contract-salary-cap-space/
In Jeremiah’s write-up he mentions Nix could be a plug-and-play starter and that is likely not an option due to Carr’s contract.
3. Jake Haener
The third reason drafting Nix would not make sense is the Saints took Jake Haener in the fourth round last year. While Haener may not be the long-term starter, the organization clearly thought enough of him to spend a mid-round pick on him. Lest I remind you that Brock Purdy was Mr. Irrelevant and look at where he ended up.
Perhaps I am also a bit too bullish on Haener due to being a Ryder.
Nonetheless, I do not think drafting Bo Nix would be a wise move for the Saints.
OUTTA HERE!
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