Carson Strong told me yesterday that he’s met with several NFL teams at the Senior Bowl.
Said that he felt meetings with Washington, Saints, Steelers, Eagles and Titans went really well.
— Crissy Froyd (@crissy_froyd) February 3, 2022
There’s a ton of uncertainty surrounding the quarterback class in the 2022 NFL draft, which means prospects like Nevada’s Carson Strong have an opportunity to quickly climb rankings across the league. And the Senior Bowl gave him and his competition a great platform to show what they can do on an even playing field. It’s also an opportunity to meet with interested teams, including the New Orleans Saints.
The Saints were one of many teams to meet with Strong this week, per Sports Illustrated’s Crissy Froyd, who Strong told he felt his conversations with New Orleans and several other teams “went really well.”
Known for his big arm but facing concerns about his surgically-repaired knee, he was able to stand tall without a brace during Senior Bowl practices this week. The wintry wind and rain challenged him throwing deep downfield, though, so teams should be interested to see him dropping back to pass in better conditions.
So where will he go in the draft? It’s too soon to call Strong a first-round lock (which is the case for most of the top passers this year), but he’s often being projected inside the top two rounds. If the Saints address a different position at No. 18 overall, they could angle to move up from their second pick (at No. 47) to try and get him. Other quarterback-needy teams he singled out in speaking with Froyd are in New Orleans’ way, including:
- Washington Commanders: Nos. 11 and 42
- Pittsburgh Steelers: Nos. 20 and 52
- Philadelphia Eagles: Nos. 15, 16, 19, and 51
- Tennessee Titans: No. 26
Of course by the time the draft rolls around in April every team has met with every top prospect, and the Saints have also been in contact with Liberty quarterback Malik Willis. They’ll do their homework on all of this year’s premier passers, and whoever they hire as head coach is going to have an opportunity to go get their guy — whoever that ends up being. Maybe it’s Strong. Maybe it’s Willis. Or maybe they’ll prefer to target a veteran already in the NFL instead. We’ll keep an eye out in the days, weeks, and months ahead.
