You won’t find Derek Carr, Andy Dalton, and Drew Brees mentioned in the same conversation too often, but that’s where we found ourselves here. Bleacher Report’s Derrick Klassen shared his scouting report on Oregon quarterback Bo Nix, a prospect in the 2024 NFL draft, and offered a couple of different pro comparisons for Nix: Carr, Dalton, and Brees.
Incidentally, all three of them have played for the New Orleans Saints. And that’s where this comparison falls apart. Brees of course accomplished a Pro Football Hall of Fame-worthy career in black and gold. Dalton spent a single year in New Orleans, having been signed to back up Jameis Winston before being given the starting job, and he ended that season with the worst offensive output the Saints had seen in decades. The jury is still out on Carr, but the early returns aren’t good.
Still, we’re missing the forest for the trees here. Klassen’s greater point is that Nix should be seen as a high-end backup who should probably be picked early in the second round of this year’s draft. That’s where Brees (drafted with the first pick of the second round), Dalton (the third pick in the second round), and Carr (the fourth pick in the second round) all went off the board. While Dalton and Carr both started as rookies, Brees didn’t, though it’s worth noting he played in a different era that took a more patient approach to young quarterbacks.
So does this mean Nix could end up wearing black and gold in New Orleans, too? Probably not this year. If he’s projected to be picked before the Saints go on the clock at No. 45 overall, he probably won’t make it to them. At the same time the Saints have been seen as a possibility to draft him. Quarterback is low on their list of needs but if they believe Nix has a chance at supplanting Carr in the next year or two, it shouldn’t shock anyone if they draft him.
