Saints Grab "Taysom Hill 2.0" in Round 7, Select Tommy Stevens.
The Saints made three trades in the 2020 NFL Draft, the last one for a quarterback. Tommy Stevens could be an ideal replacement for a QB on the Saints roster, just not Drew Brees'.
The New Orleans Saints traded into the seventh round of the 2020 NFL Draft to select Mississippi State QB Tommy Stevens. Prior to landing in Starkville, Stevens spent three seasons in Happy Valley serving as a backup at Penn State after losing the competition in camp to versatile QB Trace McSorley.
After redshirting and losing the position battle, Stevens approached offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead about potentially playing special teams, “I just want to contribute” Stevens said. The Indianapolis native’s willingness to win sparked an idea, a way to play two athletic QBs on the field at one time. Moorhead dubbed Stevens’ role in offense in 2017 “The Lion” as he lined up at Wide Receiver, Running Back, and his natural position at QB.
The following season, Stevens had foot surgery and lost the mastermind behind “The Lion” role as Moorehead took a job at Mississippi State. After 2018, Stevens followed his offensive coordinator for what was a match made in heaven but it was only the beginning of a difficult season for Stevens who caught the injury bug. In 2019 Stevens, separated his shoulder, suffered a high ankle sprain, broke a rib and punctured a lung.
Despite the injuries, the Saints have asked about Stevens since the Shrine Bowl and met with him via a video call over the past few weeks. He finished his collegiate career with 1,459 yards, 15 touchdowns, and six interceptions. The former high school safety also rushed for 887 yards, added 62 receiving yards, and scored a combined 14 touchdowns. His athleticism, arm strength and size make Stevens an intriguing option for the Saints but his lack of durability raises question marks.
Stevens has proven to be a do it all offensive threat during his days at Penn State and the Saints believe that he can bring the same impact to the NFL. New Orleans traded a 7th Round Pick in the 2021 draft to Houston to select Stevens at pick 240 of the 2020 NFL Draft.
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