Where quarterback Shedeur Sanders will land remains the draft's biggest mystery heading into day two. There was a time when the quarterback was expected to be a potential top ten selection and certainly wasn't expected to fall out of the first round entirely. New York's decision to draft Jaxson Dart instead of Sanders was one of the bigger surprises of day one. Still, Sanders remains a likely pick in round two, one Atlanta fans hope stays far away from the NFC South.
New Orleans has a shaky quarterback situation with Derek Carr's status for the 2025 season remaining a huge question mark. With this in mind, there has been speculation that the franchise could look to add to the position. Selfishly, Falcons fans can only hope this doesn't mean Sanders' landing spot becomes the Saints and puts the franchise back into relevance. While Sanders' ceiling remains in question, it is easy to form the argument that the young quarterback would be an upgrade over veteran Derek Carr.
Atlanta should hope Shedeur Sanders stays far away from the Saints, avoiding the NFC South
One thing that could complicate this is the fact that the Saints have already altered Carr's contract this offseason, helping open up cap space. In doing so, the team took any potential path away from parting ways with the veteran. This is great news for Atlanta, which enjoys watching the veteran toss Jessie Bates perfect spirals.
Even if Sanders isn't a franchise-altering quarterback, he will bring relevance and attention to Atlanta's hated rival. It is also easy to believe the addition of Sanders will unlock the New Orleans offense a bit, making the team a larger threat in a wide-open NFC South. It is the type of drastic move that gives the Saints a chance at redeeming what has been an underwhelming offseason.
One interesting side note to this could be how comfortable new head coach Kellen Moore is bringing in a player whose father is a respected head coach and NFL legend. Moore is in year one and already facing an uphill battle with the Saints. It has to at least come into consideration that the distraction or potential issues the franchise could face if Deion Sanders grows frustrated with how the franchise chose to manage the quarterback.
No matter the reasoning, Atlanta must hope Sanders lands elsewhere in the league, keeping the Saints in their current misery and firmly entrenched in the NFC South basement. No other move has the potential to change this and make life harder on Atlanta.