Todd McShay Projects Saints to Select Exciting QB in First 2022 NFL Mock Draft

The New Orleans Saints have had three starting quarterbacks throughout the NFL season and cannot seem to find their heir to the great Drew Brees. That makes it no surprise that Todd McShay has them selecting Cincinnati quarterback Desmond Ridder in the first round of his 2022 NFL mock draft.

Saints Mock Draft

The Saints have other needs heading into the offseason, but the only quarterback under contract next year is Taysom Hill. It is not a given that Jameis Winston will re-sign after tearing his ACL midway through this season. Drafting Ridder at No. 19 would give head coach Sean Payton another option.

While Ridder spent four seasons as the Bearcats' starter, this past fall was filled with his best performances. The 22-year-old tossed for 3,190 and 30 touchdowns (8 interceptions) across 13 games played. He also led his squad to its second consecutive AAC Championship.

It's important to point out that Cincinnati became the first non-Power Five team to earn a spot in the College Football Playoff. It's clear that Ridder knows what it takes to play winning football. His mechanics and consistency could be molded under Payton, while his ability to rush the football gives him a lot of upside.

The 2022 NFL Draft is set to take place through April 28-30. The Saints still have an outside shot at making the playoffs as they remain in the running for the final wild card spot. As it stands right now, New Orleans has odds set at +300 to reach the postseason, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

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Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.