The Saints held a workout with Baylor QB Bryce Petty as part of their pre-draft due diligence and reportedly think he has the best arm in the draft, which has led to speculation that they could use the 31st pick of the first round to nab a potential successor to Drew Brees.
That would be a major shift for a team that has drafted just one quarterback since Brees arrived in town, but it wasn’t a shift that Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis ruled out on Wednesday. Loomis said there was no thought that Brees is close to the end of the line, but that the team was open to adding a quarterback.
“I think you’re always looking to get a young quarterback in the program,” Loomis said, via ESPN.com. “We’ve got one in Ryan Griffin that we like. And if an opportunity presents itself, hey, we may take another one here. But I don’t see the end for Drew Brees on the short-term horizon. At least I certainly hope not. But it does take time for these quarterbacks to develop. And we’re conscious of that. We evaluate the quarterbacks. And obviously if an opportunity presents itself to take one at the right time, we’re not afraid to do that.”
With five of the first 78 picks, the Saints will have plenty of options available to them over the next two days. Using one of those picks on a quarterback could make sense with Brees at 36, but the team may also opt for players they think will have a more immediate impact on the club in order to maximize the years that Brees has left.
