Garrett Grayson to the New Orleans Saints: Full Draft-Pick Breakdown

With their second selection of Day 2 of the NFL draft, the New Orleans Saints decided to bring in a quarterback, and they went with Garrett Grayson of Colorado State.

There had been plenty of predraft discussion on the possibility of the Saints taking a quarterback. General manager Mickey Loomis and coach Sean Payton ended all the speculation in the third round, when they nabbed Grayson with the No. 75 overall pick.

The drafting of a quarterback has been an uncommon occurrence for New Orleans in the Payton era, although that can easily be attributed to the success of future Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees. The selection of Grayson marks just the second time the Saints have drafted a quarterback since Payton arrived in 2006. The pick is also the earliest New Orleans has picked a quarterback since Archie Manning was taken with the second overall selection out of Ole Miss in 1971.

David Zalubowski/Associated Press

Grayson enjoyed a stellar senior season at Colorado State in 2014, as he tossed for just over 4,000 yards with 32 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. In addition to being named first-team All-Mountain West in 2014, he was named the conference’s Offensive Player of the Year. He was also named to the Senior Bowl, and he turned in a solid passing performance in the game.

Cathleen Allison/Associated Press

He doesn’t have overly impressive size for the position at 6’2” and 213 pounds, but he’s sturdy enough to take a hit and bounce right back up.

In breaking down Grayson's game on tape, it’s easy to see why the Saints view him favorably, as he displays numerous desirable traits.

For one, his accuracy on the deep ball is superb, and it’s probably his greatest positive attribute as a quarterback. He delivers downfield passes on the money, with appropriate touch and in seemingly effortless fashion.

With regard to his arm strength, it isn’t elite, but he has a strong enough arm to make every NFL throw. He can place the ball into tight windows, and he demonstrates nice touch on his short and intermediate throws.

While Grayson possesses many desirable traits, he’ll need to improve in numerous areas. For starters, he has a wind-up delivery. He also stares down receivers a bit too often, although that’s not an uncorrectable habit. In addition, his decision-making is sometimes questionable.

As for intangibles, he has a lot going for him. He’s highly confident quarterback, and he has no reservations about going right at aggressive corners in man coverage. He won’t hesitate to step up into the pocket and take a hit, either, which is something that scouts and coaches alike will always admire in a pocket passer.  

While the Saints could certainly agree to extend him at some point in the near future, the 36-year-old Brees is entering the fourth year of a five-year deal, and New Orleans obviously considers Grayson as a potential successor. The Saints will likely allow the 23-year-old to develop for the next couple of seasons, maybe more, while he observes and learns under Brees.

At present, it's doubtful that Payton has a precise timetable for when the young signal-caller will assume the starting role, if he ever does. There’s no denying, however, that by drafting Grayson, the Saints view him as a potential future starter at quarterback and as a possible replacement for Brees.