The 2018 NFL Draft is one that is considered to be loaded with quarterback talent, but Kansas City Chiefs fans are going to like what a rival coach thinks about the guy they were able to nab at this time a year ago.
In an interview with “The Dan Patrick Show” on Monday, New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton was asked for his thoughts on this year’s QB class. He took the opportunity to praise Patrick Mahomes, whom he says the Saints had rated very highly in last year’s draft.
“With regards to the quarterback class this year, this is just us, the Saints, the guy we had graded very high last year was Mahomes,” Payton said, as transcribed by Joel Erickson of The Advocate. “I don’t know that I see that player in this class.”
The Chiefs traded up in last year’s draft to take Mahomes, and New Orleans ended up taking former Ohio State cornerback Marshon Lattimore at No. 11. Payton claims the Saints would have taken Lattimore even if Kansas City passed on Mahomes, but he’d probably say that even if it weren’t true.
Payton doesn’t seem particularly high on this year’s QB class despite all the buzz, as he also told Peter King of The MMQB that teams at the top of the draft should feel “uneasy” about which signal-caller to take. Payton said he does not believe the next Andrew Luck or Carson Wentz is in this class.
As we know, the Chiefs also think very highly of Mahomes. They moved on from Alex Smith this offseason even after Smith had a career year in 2017, and some key players in Kansas City have already made their feelings on Mahomes clear.
