The New Orleans Saints have been one of the worst teams in the league in 2025.
After suffering a loss to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 12, the team fell to 2-9 overall. It was always expected to be a down year from the team, but the lack of production from the offense is definitely concerning.
The team drafted Louisville quarterback Tyler Shough in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Spencer Rattler earned the starting job to begin the season, but was benched at the end of October in favor of the rookie.
Since taking over, Shough has thrown for 829 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions. It's expected to see rookie quarterbacks struggle, but Shough is an older rookie at 26, and the team may not be very patient.
Jaime Eisner of The Draft Network recently published a new mock draft. In the mock, Eisner has the Saints selecting Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the No. 3 pick.
Regarding the potential Mendoza pick, Eisner offered the following:
Shough had his supporters in the 2025 NFL Draft process, but he simply isn't the same caliber of prospect as Fernando Mendoza is. If the Saints can draft QB1, they need to do it. Mendoza has the ideal frame and arm strength to succeed in the NFL and displays impressive poise and maturity in the pocket. He’s my QB1 in the 2026 class.
As Eisner mentioned, Shough was loved by some evaluators, but he wasn't close to the prospect that Mendoza is. The Saints may decide that Mendoza is just too good a prospect to pass on.
In 2025, Mendoza has thrown for 2,641 yards with 30 touchdowns and five interceptions. The quarterback is currently the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy and has his Hoosiers at a perfect 11-0 ahead of the College Football Playoff.
Mendoza has typical NFL quarterback size at 6'5", 225 pounds. The quarterback isn't a runner per se, but he can make plays with his legs, and has 216 rushing yards with five rushing scores. Through 31 college games, Mendoza has thrown for 7,353 yards with 60 touchdowns and 21 interceptions.
In New Orleans, the Saints could immediately turn the ball over to Mendoza and have Shough around as a capable backup. On the other hand, if Shough impresses over the final stretch of the season, the team could opt to give the rookie another year.
The Saints have plenty of needs, and with the team likely having a top three pick, they could also decide to trade back and accumulate more draft capital.