Saints can acquire a new version of Taysom Hill during 2026 NFL Draft, but it would be more costly than they’d like
Taysom Hill is a Saints legend. With his future in potential doubt, could Kellen Moore pick his replacement in this year’s NFL draft?
There has truly only been one Taysom Hill in NFL history. Last season, he became the only player with over 1,000 yards passing, rushing, and receiving in the Super Bowl era during the New Orleans Saints’ final home game of the season.
Could New Orleans look to add a similar skillset in this year’s draft? They may have that opportunity.
Cole Payton’s potential outlook as the next Taysom Hill
In a recent intel piece on some of the quarterbacks in this year’s class, Rob Gregson pinpointed one as a player who is drawing comparisons to Taysom. It is nearly impossible to replicate Hill’s profile, but North Dakota State’s Cole Payton may come closest to doing so.
“The good and the bad: ‘”Would take him over Allar, not over Nussmeier. Loopy lefty delivery, one-year starter, but he’s got it all upstairs. Not Milroe or Kaepernick athletically but good. Happier in the 4th than the 3rd but he might be the next Taysom Hill.”
Payton is one of the more intriguing prospects in this class. Some view his live arm, sturdy frame, and running ability as enough to make him QB No.3 in the class. Others see too much of a project with little experience. Whoever drafts Payton will need to be patient with his development, but he could be a major steal.” — Rob Gregson, A to Z Sports
Payton had just one year of starting experience at the FCS level, and his production on the ground was more impressive than his production through the air.
He’s a lefty, so that is a key difference from Hill. That being said, his powerful nature and athleticism at the QB position has made plenty of folks consider that his most realistic high-end outcome as a pro.
Even without being a long-term starter, Hill has carved out an impressive career as a utility player whose athleticism jumps off the page.
We will see if the Saints look to add another sort of this type of weapon on their offense. They already signed QB Zach Wilson to compete with Spencer Rattler for the backup job behind Tyler Shough.
It would be a bit surprising for them to possibly use a third or fourth-round pick on another player listed as a QB, even if that label is a tad misleading as Payton enters the NFL. We will see how he develops once he has a landing spot later this month.
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