Losing Patrick Mahomes to the Chiefs Fuels Sean Payton’s Quest for a Quarterback Post-Zach Wilson Trade

With Zach Wilson‘s trade, it seemed like the quarterback woes of the Denver Broncos were over. However, Sean Payton might still choose to scour the upcoming NFL Draft to add some fresh energy to the roster. Having missed out on an explosive pick in Patrick Mahomes, the head coach would want to do things right this time around.

In the 2017 Draft, the Kansas City Chiefs picked their future three-time MVP at No. 10, with the Broncos just a pick behind. While Payton had a strong inclination towards Mahomes, his then-team, the Saints, chose cornerback Marshon Lattimore. And now, an NFL analyst thinks that the HC wouldn’t want to repeat the error this year and would have his eye on prospective rookie QBs.

Mike Lombardi appreciates Sean Payton’s QB evaluation

NFL analyst Mike Lombardi believes in Payton’s ability to be a capable evaluator of quarterbacks. He went on to highlight Payton’s eye for the right fit, quoting a past draft as a prime example. The New Orleans Saints HC recognized the untapped potential in Patrick Mahomes back in the NFL Draft of 2017. Payton had called the future Super Bowl champion the “steal of the draft,” as per NBC.

However, the Chiefs won that draft, and the rest is history. But the coach’s judgment certainly was on point, and if things had panned out his way, the league dynamics would’ve been poles apart. Lombardi affirmed his faith in Denver’s leading man. “Remember Sean Payton wanted to draft Pat Mahomes, he lost out,” he said on the Pat McAfee Show. “Think about how the league would’ve been dramatically different had the Saints made that trade and not the Chiefs.”

Lombardi further stressed the coach’s role in the selection. However, rather than fussing about the spot a player gets drafted into, he suggests that one should focus on their play and emphasizes that if Payton has his eye on a particular rookie, his history in the draft says one should believe in his judgment.

Will Denver get another QB after Zach Wilson’s trade?

After Russell Wilson’s departure, a veteran for the position was a pressing need for the Broncos. Then came the former Jets QB’s trade, which seemed to solve their problems. However, Denver might draft a rookie and add depth to their quarterback room, which currently holds Wilson, Jarrett Stidham, and Ben DiNucci.

Lombardi opined, “I don’t know where they’re gonna go; I do believe they’ll be six quarterbacks taken in the first round. A lot of this has to do with the- connectivity to the coach and what they see.” The Denver Broncos currently hold the 12th pick in the upcoming draft and would have to trade up if they wanted a fat share of the pie.

The top four projected QB picks are Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, and J.J. McCarthy, and it’s expected that the higher pick-holding teams would definitely acquire from the lot. Unless Denver trades up, they would have to choose from the next tier of QBs: Bo Nix, Michael Penix Jr., and Spencer Rattler. While there are some enticing options available to the team, ultimately, it would depend on who’s the right fit, as Payton stated earlier.

“Do we have to draft a quarterback? You’d say it sure looks like we have to draft a quarterback,” Payton said before the Wilson trade news came to light, as per the NFL. “And yet, it’s got to be the right fit, the right one.”

All said and done, it will be interesting to see if Sean Payton decides to dedicate his energies to Wilson in hopes of turning him into a comeback player or whether some competition will be added to the mix. As for now, the draft commences soon, and all eyes will be set on the top prospects and what their first home in the league will be.