Saints May Already Have Next Franchise QB In Their Sights

The New Orleans Saints lost their starting quarterback, Derek Carr, in the offseason and they didn't do much to replace him. After Carr's retirement, they held a competitive quarterback battle between rookie Tyler Shough and Spencer Rattler.

Rattler won the battle and has been solid through three games in the regular season. The young quarterback has shown good accuracy despite a horrible offense around him. But the Saints are still 0-3 on the season, which typically reflects poorly on the starting quarterback.

Still, the Saints could be eyeing a new signal caller in the offseason.

CBS Sports' Mike Renner recently put together an updated mock draft for the 2026 NFL Draft. For the Saints, Renner projected they would land quarterback Garrett Nussmeier with the No. 4 pick in the first round.

NFL Mock Draft: Saints land Spencer Rattler replacement in Round 1

LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeie — Tigers Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier 18, LSU Tigers take on the Southeastern Louisiana. Sept 20, 2025; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; at Tiger Stadium. | SCOTT CLAUSE / USATODAY Network / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"We're four weeks into the college football season, and there's been plenty of shakeups atop the 2026 NFL Draft class," Renner wrote. "The quarterback class in particular has seen. That being said, there's still five quarterbacks featured in the 32 picks below. There's also seven offensive linemen and seven defensive ends in what should be a trench-heavy first-round.

"Saints offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier has a little familiarity with Garrett's game being his father and all. Nussmeier is a Day 1 starter who operates at a high level from the pocket. He's had a bit of a slow start, but has also faced a difficult slate out of the gates. "

Nussmeier has multiple direct connections to the Saints. LSU is close to New Orleans, but the most obvious connection is on the Saints' coaching staff. Saints offensive coordinator, Doug Nussmeier, is the LSU quarterback's father.

To go a step further, (Garrett) Nussmeier is a top quarterback prospect for all teams, regardless of where his father coaches. He fits a position of need for the Saints while being projected to go at the top of the first round. The fit makes plenty of sense, but it might be hard to imagine a team employing a starter quarterback coached by his own father. It would be nearly impossible to eliminate bias in that scenario.

Still, the Saints could be eyeing a new franchise quarterback at the top of the first round if Rattler can't string together a few big wins this year.

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