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Saints could trade for former 1st-round pick to bolster QB position

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated May 12, 2025 9:19 PM ET

The New Orleans Saints have very little experience in their quarterback room right now, and may look to change that by targeting a former first-round draft pick.

In an appearance on CBS Sports Saturday, NFL insider Jonathan Jones suggested that Cleveland Browns quarterback Kenny Pickett could make sense as a “name to watch” for the Saints. Pickett played for the Philadelphia Eagles last season under new Saints coach Kellen Moore, and the Browns will have at least one expendable quarterback.

“Joe Flacco or Kenny Pickett is going to get dealt at some point,” Jones said. “They’re not going to carry four quarterbacks on a 53-man roster.”

"You're gonna have to get a veteran in some way."@jjones9 explores potential Saints QB targets, including a name to look out for pic.twitter.com/jHvpd6zKUr
— NFL on CBS (@NFLonCBS) May 10, 2025

Pickett is hardly an ideal solution, but the Saints have little else to lean on following Derek Carr’s retirement. Rookie Tyler Shough is viewed as the favorite to start, but the team might want to bring in some veteran competition.

The Browns traded for Pickett earlier in the offseason, but then wound up drafting both Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, which likely makes him expendable. The former first-round pick went 14-10 as a starter with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but largely failed to impress despite the winning record.

Pickett won a Super Bowl last season as Jalen Hurts’ backup with the Eagles.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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