The 2025 Draft Night is just a few hours away, and as expected, things are taking interesting turns in Green Bay. Teams are preparing to move up and down the draft board to fill their needs. The New Orleans Saints find themselves in an intriguing situation. Yes, it’s about their QB spot. After the team dropped nuggets about Derek Carr’s shoulder injury, it’s looking more and more likely that Kellen Moore and the front office are planning to draft a QB. The real question is: will they use their first pick on Night 1 (ninth overall) to get their guy? Or are they willing to wait it out a bit longer?

Well, it looks like GM Mickey Loomis is considering a strategic move that would break from the Saints’ usual draft approach. According to FOX Sports NFL insider Jordan Schultz, the Saints might slide down from their original pick. They’re eyeing a trade back from their No. 9 spot in the upcoming draft to gain extra draft capital. The idea is to stockpile some picks. And then trade back into the late first round to grab a QB, likely to find Derek Carr’s successor. 

New Orleans isn’t a team known for trading away their early picks. The last time they moved down in the draft was 18 years ago, back in 2007. Ever since, their strategy has mostly been about trading up, not sliding down. With this strategy, the team might use some of the picks acquired in the trade to move back up into the first round. And possibly target a quarterback who might not be on the draft board for other franchises as high as No. 9. So instead of picking once at No. 9 overall, GM Mickey Loomis is looking to turn that into multiple chances to pick, while still landing the QB they might have their eyes on. Just a little later in the night.

As per Schultz, they’re already in talks with some teams. Now, it’s just a matter of seeing if they can pull off this trade. So, while the team is strategizing their draft moves, the looming question of Derek Carr’s health remains. As GM Mickey Loomis awaits an update on Carr’s shoulder injury, could the team’s draft approach shift depending on the quarterback’s status?

Saints GM awaits crucial update on Derek Carr’s injury

On Wednesday, Mickey Loomis appeared before the media for the team’s pre-draft conference. And of course, there were questions about Derek Carr’s availability for the 2025 season. But Loomis did not spill too many details about it. The GM just mentioned that they’re hoping to get more clarity soon.

Speaking of Carr’s injury, the 69-year-old confirmed there’s an issue with Derek Carr’s shoulder. “He does have an issue with his shoulder. We’re hoping to get some resolution and clarity on that in the near future. And when we do, I’ll report back to you,” Mickey said. He also refused to answer any more questions on Carr’s injury, adding, “I’m just not going to answer any more questions about Derek. If you have questions about the draft, I’m more than happy to answer them. But in terms of the roster and Derek, I’m not going to answer any more questions about that at this time.“

When asked about when the team found out about Carr’s injury, the GM once again shut down all the questions. It looked like Loomis was in no mood to answer any of Derek Carr’s inquiries. The QB himself has remained silent about his injury update, leaving his availability for the 2025 season highly questionable. This uncertainty has fueled speculation that the Saints might be looking to draft a QB this year. With the draft upon us, all eyes are on how the team will navigate this critical decision.