In Week 14, the New Orleans Saints won a grueling game in the New York against the struggling Giants. The Saints projected selection moved a bit, but after Monday night football, they ended back at pick 10. The 2025 NFL Draft has a lack of top-end talent, and there is a real chance all of these prospects are gone by the Saints’ selection. This would give the Saints a prime spot to trade back in the draft. The only question left is, who could be available?

The Prospects

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Throughout this year, I have talked about three different quarterbacks as options for the Saints wherever they selected at that time. Now, the feeling around those quarterbacks is that Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders will be gone extremely early in the first, and Jalen Milroe will probably go back to school. I was convinced that no other quarterback prospect would rise as a first-round pick. After last Saturday’s college football championship games, this belief changed. Penn State faced off against Oregon for the Big Ten Championship, and although Penn State lost in a close battle, quarterback Drew Allar was great. Before this game, Allar was considered to be a late day 2 prospect. He had great traits but was very raw. Against Oregon, Allar showed real potential and made some fantastic NFL throws that kept Penn State in the game.

At 6-foot-5, 238 lbs, Drew Allar has the ideal height and weight for the quarterback position in the NFL. He has elite arm talent and can make amazing throws on the move. Allar’s ability to improvise outside of the pocket is fantastic, and the throws he can make under duress are impressive. Although his speed may not be the greatest, Allar is a real threat to run on every play. In the pocket, Allar does really well to go through progressions and step up to make the throw. One of the biggest things he needs to improve upon is his accuracy. Allar is prone to missing receivers when the pass may be routine. His decision-making also needs refinement, and he sometimes makes risky throws. Allar’s feet are always moving in the pocket, and even when he has time to plant and make the throw, he is still moving around. If Allar plants his feet more, his accuracy will be better.

The Saints’ quarterback future is not answered, and although Rattler/Haener still have more to prove, waiting has the potential of destroying any progress the franchise makes. Good teams invest in quarterbacks before it becomes an issue. The Packers drafted Jordan Love when they had Aaron Rodgers, the Chefs drafted Patrick Mahomes when they had Alex Smith, and the Ravens drafted Lamar Jackson when they had Joe Flacco. Yes, the Saints are in a bit of a worse quarterback situation than where these teams were, but Derek Carr will probably be the quarterback next season, and New Orleans needs to start planning for the future. Investing a first-round pick in Drew Allar would make a lot of sense. He is a prototypical NFL quarterback with elite arm talent and great improvisation. Like almost every other QB in this class, Allar will need time to develop, so benching him behind Carr for a season would be the smart move. Also, by trading back and getting Allar, the Saints will receive more draft capital to build out the roster and get the 5th-year option on Allar’s contract. Depending on how the draft process goes, there is a real chance Drew Allar can skyrocket to a top 10 pick, and I would not be against the Saints just sticking and drafting the young quarterback. I believe Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders are still the first and second best quarterbacks in the draft, but Allar is now another option for the New Orleans Saints.

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The Saints need to invest a good amount of draft capital in the defensive line, and if they do trade back in the first, defensive tackle Tyleik Williams would be a top option. he is a massive 6-foot-3, 327 lbs, and with this size, Williams powers through blockers with ease. Against the run he is elite. Williams can easily fill gaps and stop any progress the rusher believed they could make. His arm length is a worry, but Williams still gets in great positions. Even at this size, Williams has excellent speed for a defensive tackle, which allows him to keep up with rushers/quarterbacks. In pass rush, Williams relies on power to get to the backfield, but going into the NFL, he needs to improve on his pass rush moves. This is one of the main reasons Williams is more of a late first-round pick, but because of his elite run defending, the Ohio State Buckeye could be the second defensive tackle off the board.

Defensive tackle is going to be the biggest need for the New Orleans Saints going into the 2025 Draft. The team’s cap space is not good enough to fix this issue, and the Saints are losing games because of run defense. By pick 10, Mason Graham will likely be off the board, and there is a big gap between him and the other defensive tackles in the class. The Saints would be reaching at pick 10 if they draft a DT, but trading back would be a much better option. Tyleik Williams would be the nose tackle the Saints have been missing from the defensive line. Williams would significantly improve the run defense while also taking double teams. This would allow players like Bryan Bresee to have one-on-one matchups and a better chance to affect the run/pass game. Williams is going to need refinement in pass rush, but this selection would be a great start in rebuilding the defensive line.