Saints Predicted To Make Head-Scratching Draft Day Trade

The New Orleans Saints could be without quarterback Derek Carr for the entire 2025 season after a report emerged that his shoulder injury could sideline him for the year. With that in mind, the Saints need to land a quarterback in the NFL Draft and a lot of experts expect them to draft Colorado's Shedeur Sanders.

The Saints may need to trade up to land Sanders, but it's unclear how far they would need to move up to be sure they land him.

Bleacher Report's Alex Kay recently predicted the Saints would trade their No. 9 pick, a 2025 fourth-round pick, and a 2025 seventh-round pick to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for pick No. 8 in the NFL Draft.

"The Saints could sit back and hope Sanders falls to No. 9 overall—a spot where many experts foresee him coming off the board—but the team may want to be more proactive to avoid being leapfrogged on draft night," Kay wrote. "It may be the smallest possible move up the board, but trading for the No. 8 slot would give the Saints more security in their quest to land Sanders. With Carolina sending out signals that it's willing to deal, New Orleans should be highly interested in acquiring the selection and blocking rivals from making a move."

In all honesty, this trade would be a severe overpay for the Saints. New Orleans has too many holes on its roster to part ways with three 2025 draft picks in exchange for one pick that's just a single slot higher. If the Saints are truly in love with Sanders as a prospect, they could trade up four or five picks to be sure they land him. Trading a haul like this to move up one slot wouldn't make much sense.

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