The New Orleans Saints are looking to get things back on track after a disappointing season that saw them fail to reach the playoffs. Unfortunately, things may end up being more difficult than the Saints initially anticipated, with the news that Saints quarterback Derek Carr’s status 2025 season has been thrown into jeopardy due to a lingering injury.
One way the Saints can get back to competing is by nailing things in the NFL draft, which general manager Mickey Loomis discussed, per Pro Football Talk. Loomis said that Carr’s situation is not impacting how the team is proceeding with its draft strategy, but that the Saints are willing to select another quarterback.
“You’re always wanting to take swings and develop the position,” Loomis said. “That’s good business. I think the thing that you have to really resist is over-drafting and taking someone way sooner, because that’s opportunity cost.
“If we take somebody way sooner than maybe we should have, we’re taking a swing, if it doesn’t work out, we missed out on whatever player that may be in the Pro Bowl. It’s hard to resist, though. It’s hard to do that sometimes.
Loomis also said that he is more than willing to trade back to accumulate draft capital.
“I’ve never been against trading back,” Loomis said. “It just appears that way. I believe in our evaluation process, I believe in our grades. And so, just philosophically, it’s hard for me to say I want to trade back and get a lesser player than I can get in moving forward.
“So if you move forward, you’re guaranteeing yourself, in my mind, a better player based upon our grades. Now, we’ve got to be right, as opposed to going back, and I might end up with a lesser player.
“And I get that you’re getting more swings when you trade back, you’re picking up assets, and you’re getting more swings. I understand that philosophy; I don’t disagree with it, they can all work.”
