The New Orleans Saints could be planning a move to land Baker Mayfield, with rumors indicating that Sean Payton is looking to put a succession plan into place to replace Drew Brees once his number is up.
Mayfield is considered among the top of a very strong crop of quarterbacks in this year’s NFL draft, with many seeing him as the best signal caller behind Sam Darnold of USC. That would put the Oklahoma quarterback in the top 10 and likely the top five of May’s draft — a few dozen picks before the New Orleans Saints get to make their pick.
But Payton and the Saints could be moving up the board to land Mayfield, Yahoo Sports reporter Charles Robinson noted. He reported that Payton is solidly in Mayfield’s camp, which could lead the Saints to move up the board and land him.
The price tag for such a move could be very high. The top of the draft is filled with teams that could land a quarterback, with the Browns at No. 1 and No. 4, and the Giants at No. 2. In order to ensure that Mayfield is still on the board, the Saints may have to move up to the top three picks, but could have an opening with the Giants.
Though Eli Manning is on the back end of his career, there are signs that the Giants are planning to stick by him for at least the next season and could trade back in the draft to build a bigger stable of picks.
ICYMI: Giants GM praises Eli Manning, unsure if team will draft QB https://t.co/kcUJOuKRsJ pic.twitter.com/ScacTGwxMx
— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) January 25, 2018
While the NFL rumors have not indicated any specific plans for the New Orleans Saints, it is clear that the franchise is high on Baker Mayfield. Drew Brees spoke highly of the quarterback who could one day supplant him as the starter, noting that he plays with a lot of grit.
“I’ve never met Baker Mayfield, so I can’t say I know him, but in following his career, I really respect what he’s been able to accomplish,” Drew Brees told Mike Nabors. “He definitely comes across as a guy who’s got an edge to him. Highly competitive. And, listen, you can tell there’s a chip on his shoulder. You see it. Look at his career, it’ll tell you why.”
If the NFL rumors are true, the New Orleans Saints could have a lot of competition for Baker Mayfield. There are a number of quarterback-hungry teams picking late in the first round, including the Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars, and the bidding to move up could end up being very high.
