Patrick Mahomes Was the Best QB 'I Had Ever Seen on Tape,' Sean Payton Says

Patrick Mahomes could have been the successor to Drew Brees, with New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton noting that his team was looking to take the Texas Tech product at No. 11 in 2017 before the Chiefs traded up to select him at No. 10.

On Wednesday, as Payton and the Saints prepare to play the Chiefs this weekend, the head coach shed light on what he thought set the future star apart from the rest of the prospect pool.

"I felt like it was the best quarterback I had ever seen on tape in a workout," Payton said, per Sam McDowell of the Kansas City Star. 

Mahomes said he "didn't sense" much interest from the Chiefs, but Payton left a meeting with the quarterback in Lubbock with a more than memorable impression (h/t McDowell): 

"I had done a lot of them to that point. You name it. I just thought he had that rare ability, and there was going to be a ton of upside. Man, he was real good in the meeting room. He processed the information extremely [well]—all those things you can’t see on video. That was just my instincts. I didn’t know for sure. “But when the draft comes, you begin to think, 'Well, there’s gotta be someone else that sees what I see.'"

Though the Saints didn't end up with a fresh face under center—or Super Bowl rings—they've managed just fine under Brees, who has been their starting quarterback since 2006. Since Mahomes joined the league, Brees has gone 28-7.

With Mahomes going to the Chiefs at No. 10, the Saints selected Ohio State cornerback Marshon Lattimore, who has lived up to his high selection. He was a Pro Bowler as a rookie in 2017 and again last season. This year, he has defended seven passes and tallied an interception while adding 50 tackles through 11 games. 

Meanwhile, the quarterback leads the league in passing yards with 4,208, throwing 33 touchdowns en route to the league's best record at 12-1. 

Payton will get his first chance to see how his pick and the pick that could've been stack up against each other on Sunday, when the 10-3 Saints host the Chiefs at 4:25 p.m.