The New Orleans Saints hold the 14th overall pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Their roster composition has a handful of holes, and it is hard to predict where they'll go to start their draft class. 

NFL draft insider Daniel Jeremiah revealed his first mock draft of the offseason, and New Orleans made a surprising pick. 

Jeremiah mocked Oregon Ducks quarterback Bo Nix to the Saints with their first-round pick.

Round 1, Pick 14: Bo Nix, Quarterback, Oregon

I’m a big fan of Nix’s game. I think his experience as a five-year starter is a positive for him as he heads to the next level. He would be a plug-and-play starter in New Orleans. I’m not confident the Saints view Derek Carr as the answer.

— Daniel Jeremiah, NFL.com

The selection would be a head-scratcher for New Orleans. Firstly, head coach Dennis Allen is on the hot seat entering next season, so adding a player that probably would not play in 2024 would be questionable. Derek Carr is their QB for next year. 

Not to mention, their roster has a plethora of holes. They need at least one high-upside offensive tackle, and their pass rush desperately needs assistance, too. Their trench play was not good enough in 2023.

Keep in mind that they could move a veteran to create cap space, and that would open up another major hole on the team, too. Marshon Lattimore has been oft-discussed as a possible trade piece due to his contract restructure from earlier in January. 

New Orleans cannot force a QB selection when it does not make the most sense for their franchise's outlook going forward.

Derek Carr played much better football in the second half of this past season, and he was far from their biggest problem in many of their losses.

Also, consider the instance that Dennis Allen is fired after the 2024 season due to more inconsistency from the Saints. The new coach would potentially want to choose his own QB. The HC may not want to be locked into Nix of the foreseeable future. 

As for Nix, he's not a top QB prospect in this class. There are three other QBs projected to go ahead of Nix: Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, and Jayden Daniels. Nix showed solid processing and arm talent in his final collegiate season, but he has plenty of inconsistencies for an NFL profile. 

His arm strength is good, not elite. Additionally, Nix's accuracy on intermediate and deep throws isn't among the top prospects' in the draft class. He has good athleticism/mobility and prototypical NFL size, though. His poise improved in year five of his college career, but it isn't game-changing. 

NFL.com's Lance Zierlein compares Nix to Tony Romo. That's certainly a style type of projection. It's difficult to see Nix hitting that type of ceiling.

Overall, Nix is not an ideal pick for the Saints in round one of the 2024 draft. 

Recent NFL firings make the Saints look even worse

The New Orleans Saints had a disappointing campaign in 2023-2024. Even at nine wins, they were NFC South favorites and potential dark horses in the NFC. Now, they sit at home during the postseason.  They're keeping Dennis Allen during this offseason. That discussion can end. Multiple insiders/sources have confirmed that Allen will get to, at […]