Saints-Raiders Blockbuster Trade Idea Would Land 37-TD Passer To Replace Derek Carr

Are the Saints scheming to trade up in the draft?

Oct 20, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Las Vegas Raiders helmet on the turn at SoFi Stadium during pregame warmups before an NFL game against the Los Angeles Rams. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

Derek Carr will likely be the New Orleans Saints' starting quarterback in 2025. In 2026, he probably won't be.

The Saints and Carr restructured the quarterback's contract to save $31 million in cap space last month. But unless he shows drastic improvement that makes the Saints want to keep him around in 2026, New Orleans will likely be searching for a more permanent solution.

That solution could come in the upcoming NFL Draft, but it's dependent on how the cards fall ahead of the Saints on the board. New Orleans owns the number-nine pick in the first round, but if they feel strongly about a certain QB in this draft class, they may also be inclined to trade up.

The most likely target in that case is Colorado's Shedeur Sanders, who passed for 37 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in his impressive senior season. Sanders has been a frequently discussed name in Saints circles lately, but it remains to be seen how seriously New Orleans hopes to bring him in.

On Saturday, Darrion Gray of Saints Wire suggested that the Saints could trade with the Las Vegas Raiders, who currently hold the sixth pick, to land Sanders if he drops past the top three teams in the draft order, all of whom could be interested in quarterbacks.

"The next group would be the Saints and New York Jets. The Saints find themselves last in the pecking order among those teams, but they’d have a better chance of trading ahead of the Jets than convincing Cleveland to trade back seven spots," Gray wrote.

"It would be cheaper too. Instead of being competition for Sanders, the Raiders could be the team that helps facilitate New Orleans acquiring their quarterback of the future."

The Raiders were once thought to be a potential destination for Sanders, but they just gave an extension to quarterback Geno Smith. The Jets pick seventh, so if New Orleans senses they might be interested in Sanders, trading up with the Raiders would be a failsafe.

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