Sean Payton Discusses Saints Narrowly Missing on Patrick Mahomes in 2017 Draft

New Orleans was one pick away but Kansas City traded up to snag the Texas Tech product.

Patrick Mahomes is widely considered a future first ballot Hall of Famer despite entering just his sixth NFL season in 2022. One former NFL coach shared how he almost snagged the signal-caller in the 2017 draft before the Chiefs did. 

While appearing on Fox NFL Kickoff, former Saints coach Sean Payton told the story of when the Saints almost picked Mahomes with the No. 11 pick in the draft before the Chiefs traded up to take him at the No. 10 pick.

“The best quarterback I’d ever seen on college tape,” Payton said of Mahomes.

The former New Orleans coach also said Drew Brees was in the New Orleans draft room for the first time ever in 2017. Payton said selecting Mahomes wasn’t going to impact Brees, but he thought it was important that he told him they might take Mahomes. 

Former Saints HC @SeanPayton talks about an interesting situation from the 2017 NFL Draft, where the New Orleans Draft Room discussed taking QB Patrick Mahomes at pick No. 11. The Chiefs ended up taking Mahomes at pick No. 10. pic.twitter.com/Eo606bsURV

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 11, 2022

“It was gonna happen, and then it didn’t happen,” Payton said on drafting Mahomes. 

Instead, the Saints selected Defensive Rookie of the Year Marshon Lattimore who is also a four-time Pro Bowler. Despite picking the star cornerback, Mahomes in New Orleans would have been quite a sight.