The New Orleans Saints were linked to a couple of backup quarterback prospects they could target by Pro Football Network’s Tony Pauline, who expects them to look for Derek Carr’s understudy. It makes sense seeing as Jameis Winston is playing out the final year of his contract and should be looking to compete for a starting job elsewhere in 2024.
Pauline reports that “The names being passed around for New Orleans are Aidan O’Connell (Purdue) and Jarren Hall (BYU),” both of whom had contact with the Saints leading up to the draft. They met with O’Connell for a private workout and throwing session while assistant coaches Ronald Curry and D.J. Williams spent a week with Hall at the Senior Bowl.
Both quarterbacks project to be picked either late in Friday night’s third round or early on Saturday during the fourth round. They both bring some mobility and experience running pro-style offenses, though O’Connell faces questions about his ball security and Hall struggled to push the ball downfield with accuracy at Senior Bowl practices. We’ll see if the Saints end up selecting either of them or if they go in another direction.