NFL insider details Drew Brees' reaction to being potential replaced by Patrick Mahomes in 2017 NFL Draft
Patrick Mahomes is on a path to Canton and the Pro Football Hall of Fame as he is arguably the best quarterback in the NFL. He was a top quarterback prospect in the 2017 NFL Draft. There were plenty of teams in need of a franchise signal-caller.
Sean Payton, the head coach of the New Orleans Saints, loved Mahomes coming out of Texas Tech, according to NFL insider Peter King. King shared Drew Brees' reaction to being succeeded by Mahomes in New Orleans:
"Payton did tell Brees of the possibility long before the Saints’ pick; Brees, 38, was a pro about it."
King also provided insight into what Payton and the Saints were thinking as they held the No. 11 pick in that 2017 Draft:
"Payton took the golfers on a tour of the facility. “We really like this Patrick Mahomes kid,” Payton told them. “He’s the steal of the draft. I’m not sure everyone knows that.”
"But the Saints liked Ohio State cornerback Marshon Lattimore a lot, too—he was rated in their top three players overall—and if Lattimore got to the Saints’ pick at 11 in round one, Payton and GM Mickey Loomis would be thrilled."
In the end, New Orleans did take Ohio State cornerback Marshon Lattimore with their pick. The Chiefs were initially sitting with the No. 27 pick but traded up a spot above to No. 10 to get Mahomes. Kansas City gave up that 27th pick, a third-round pick, and their first-round pick in 2018 to the Buffalo Bills.
Lattimore won AP Defensive Rookie of the Year honors and is a four-time Pro Bowler still with the Saints. As for Patrick Mahomes, he is a two-time MVP and a three-time Super Bowl MVP. Some Saints fans are still wondering 'what-if' Payton traded up and took Mahomes as Brees' replacement under center.
How many other QBs were taken in the first round besides Patrick Mahomes?
The 2017 draft class was not loaded at the quarterback position. Only two other quarterbacks were taken, one before and another after Patrick Mahomes. To the surprise of many, Mitchell Trubisky was the first one off the board by the Chicago Bears as they traded up to the No. 2 spot.
Trubisky started 50 games throughout four seasons with Chicago, leading them to two playoff appearances. He spent the last two seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers before being released by the team this month
Deshaun Watson went two picks after Mahomes at No. 12 to the Houston Texans. Watson made the Pro Bowl in three of his four seasons with the Texans, leading the NFL in passing during the 2020 season. He was later traded to the Cleveland Browns in March 2020 and finished his second season with the team last season.