Saints desperately need a first-round pick in return for Sean Payton this offseason

After suffering their first multi-touchdown loss of the season, the New Orleans Saints do not have a clear path forward at quarterback.

Yes, veteran signal caller Andy Dalton has led the team to greater offensive production than Jamesis Winston did this season before him but if the goal is to win games, that box has not been checked. There have been just two wins over his six starts since taking over in London Week 4, and the offensive showing Monday night under Dalton is more than enough to raise questions about the Saints’ situation at the most important position in football.

Even if New Orleans chose to finish out the season with the veteran out of TCU, there is still a glaring hole at the position moving forward. A decision to ride it out with Dalton is effectively a reproof of the team’s original starter Jameis Winston. With a potential out on Winston’s deal following this year, it seems unlikely he will remain on the roster in 2023 if Dalton starts the rest of the way here in 2022. Why would he?

Though reports of Winston’s health still on the mend are out there, Saints head coach Dennis Allen made it clear that starting Dalton was an “offensive decision.” With that, not going back to Winston while the offensive struggles speaks volumes of the team’s feelings around the former first overall selection.

Where does that then leave New Orleans beyond 2022? Would the front office sign up for another year of Dalton? Or hand things over to Taysom Hill, who should also be a larger part of the 2022 conversation? It’s likely neither.

Instead, the Saints need to do something they have struggled to do throughout franchise history. They must draft and develop a quarterback.

The next two NFL draft classes are loaded with talent behind center. Alabama’s Bryce Young and Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud sit atop most expert lists as the consensus Nos. 1 and 2 passers, leaving them far beyond the reach of the Saints currently. Other names could be within grasp, especially if the team recoups a first-round selection in 2023.

Player of the Year from Last Saturday:@Vol_Football's Hendon Hooker 🟠 5️⃣@edsbs @RJ_Writes #TOL pic.twitter.com/svJzV8JnY6

— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) November 9, 2021

The only way they can do that: trading the rights for future Hall of Fame coach Sean Payton to his next team.

It feels like a forgone conclusion that Payton will coach again in 2023. During the Monday Night Football loss to the Baltimore Ravens, Payton was even tossing out the idea that he and Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson could team up somewhere as they will both be “free agents.”

It’s clear that Payton has plans to return to the NFL. As well he should since he’s one of the brightest football minds of his time and one of the best coaches the NFL has seen. Because of that, New Orleans can benefit from his return, even though it’s unlikely to be one to the Big Easy.

With Payton still under contract, any team wanting to bring in his services as the head coach will have to trade assets to do so. This is where New Orleans can rebuild their draft capital.

Thanks to draft trades that yielded rookie sensation and wide receiver Chris Olave and offensive tackle Trevor Penning in the 2022 NFL draft, the Saints do not control their first-round pick next offseason. The pick now belonging to Philadelphia would currently be good for the sixth overall selection as the Saints sit at a lowly 3-6 through their first nine games. It’s the team’s worst start since the 2005 season, the one before Payton revitalized the franchise.

For New Orleans, getting another first-round selection this year would be massive. Quarterbacks like Kentucky’s Will Levis, Florida’s Anthony Richardson and eventually Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker will all be potential round one prospects by the time the the spring rolls around. While there are other names to consider in the second round, a pick the Saints already own, grabbing a first-round prospect could not be held against a team that has no clear path forward at quarterback. BYU’s Jaren Hall, Wake Forest’s Sam Hartman and Washington State’s Cameron Ward are among the prospects rated for day two or later.

That's a pretty deep ball in stride from BYU quarterback Jaren Hall for the 68-yard touchdown. 🏈💣

26-of-32, 337 yards, 4 TD, 0 INT pic.twitter.com/jHubo8wNn0

— The Comeback (@thecomeback) September 25, 2022

Ideally, the Saints simultaneously hold on to their 2024 first-round pick moving forward just in case they need to go back to the quarterback pool the following year with another strong class on the horizon. But what is for sure is that the quarterback of the future – the coveted franchise quarterback – is not currently on the team’s roster.

Searching for one through free agency will be tough considering the draught expected int he open market outside of Jackson and the team’s salary cap situation. Besides, getting a quarterback on a rookie deal that can take the reins of your offense with the new television deal dollars and eventual gambling money on the way to benefit the salary cap is a great place to be.

The Saints may be low on options here in 2022. But getting a first-round pick in 2023 opens up a world of possibilities for a quick turnaround in an NFC South division unlikely to improve in the near future.

If New Orleans wants to maximize its upcoming window, they will need to also maximize the return they see from trade Payton’s rights in the offseason.