Saints reportedly high on Kyle Trask in 2021 NFL Draft

The New Orleans Saints will take the field next season without Drew Brees as their leader for the first time since 2005. While Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill are expected to compete for the starting job this summer, Sean Payton might be thinking about adding someone from the 2021 NFL Draft.

Sitting at the No. 28 overall pick, New Orleans has no realistic shot at trading up for one of the top quarterback prospects. There are a ton of holes on the roster, especially after a wave of cuts caused by financial fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. Trading into the top 10 would deplete the team of its already-limited draft capital, with the organization also dealing with the ramifications of its protocol violations.

But Winston signed a one-year deal, and the Saints can get out of Hill’s contract next offseason. So, Payton and the front office are doing their homework on the 2021 quarterback class, and they might have a target on their radar.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported on "SportsCenter" that the buzz at Florida’s Pro Day was New Orleans likes Kyle Trask and could view him as a quarterback to target for development.

Trask will certainly be available at the No. 28 overall pick, and he generated some first-round buzz early in the 2020 college football season. Despite a phenomenal showing this past year at Florida, though, Trask’s college production isn’t doing a ton for his draft stock.

Trask stats and 2021 NFL Draft stock

Trask took the college football world by storm in 2020. He became the star of Florida’s offense, posting incredible numbers and helping keep this team in the national spotlight.

Across 12 games, he completed 68.9% of his pass attempts and showed plenty of touch on his throws. Trask finished the season with a 180.0 passer rating, posting a stellar 43-8 TD-INT ratio and throwing for more than 4,200 yards. For good measure, the 6-foot-5 quarterback also tacked on three rushing touchdowns.

The numbers brought in accolades, earning the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award, being named Second-Team All-SEC (behind Mac Jones) and he was a Heisman Trophy finalist. All of this was unexpected from a player who spent plenty of time on the bench before getting his shot in 2019.

Despite the accomplishments, Trask isn’t the kind of quarterback NFL teams covet with a high draft pick. Play-callers want quarterback with enough athleticism to roll around the pocket, at the very least. Trask doesn’t offer that skill, his arm strength is below average compared to the top quarterbacks in this class and his accuracy isn’t consistent.

The lack of elite physical skills limits his upside. Most likely, he’ll be a career backup who can be a fill-in starter for a few games and maybe hold down the job for a season. He could be a quality No. 2 quarterback for the Saints, but even spending a Day 2 pick on him might be a poor investment.