Ex-Cowboys OL Brian Baldinger reminds Sean Payton that he wouldn’t even be Broncos’ coach if he drafted Patrick Mahomes in 2017

Sean Payton and the Saints had the 11th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, just one pick behind the Chiefs who drafted Patrick Mahomes.

Ex-Cowboys OL Brian Baldinger reminds Sean Payton that he wouldn’t even be Broncos’ coach if he drafted Patrick Mahomes in 2017

Patrick Mahomes and Sean Payton (via IMAGO)

The Denver Broncos are in shambles after the departure of Russell Wilson and Jerry Jeudy in free agency. The offense needs a massive revamp and Sean Payton has to find a quarterback for the franchise. The team will be looking to rely on the NFL Draft in order to fulfill that requirement as they failed to make any splashes during early free agency.

For Sean Payton, selecting the best QB from the draft will take him down memory lane. Brian Baldinger recalled how 7 years ago, Payton didn’t fancy his chances in drafting Patrick Mahomes. The former star of the Dallas Cowboys revealed that had Payton drafted Mahomes in the 2017 draft, he would not be coaching the Broncos now.

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Baldinger claimed Payton still would be coaching the Saints and probably would’ve had a couple more Super Bowls to his name too.

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Sean Payton wouldn't even be there in Denver if, you know, back 7-years ago he drafted Patrick Mahomes when he was sitting there at 11 before Kansas City went from 24 to 10 to get him. He would still be in New Orleans and they would probably have a couple more Super Bowls too. He knows...if there is a guy that he feels like...he's going to do his very best not to let something like that happen again. If he thinks one of these guys is anywhere near what Mahomes is...
Brian Baldinger said.

If Sean Payton believes one of the QBs available in this draft class would make sense for him to draft and is worthy of moving up for, then he would move heaven and earth while attempting to do it. In the 2017 NFL Draft, Payton was the HC of the New Orleans Saints, and had they moved up a spot, they could have drafted Patrick Mahomes.

Sean Payton passed on Patrick Mahomes in the 2017 NFL Draft

However, Payton still believed in Drew Brees at that point and rather than planning the future of the Saints, he lost out on the opportunity to draft a generational QB such as Patrick Mahomes. The Kansas City Chiefs on the other hand saw the potential that Mahomes had and gave up a lot of capital to move up from their 24th pick to the 10th overall pick in the first round just so they could draft the QB.

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Patrick Mahomes (Image via IMAGO)

This incident is bound to haunt Sean Payton for the rest of his professional career. The Saints picked Marshon Lattimore, a cornerback from Ohio State in that draft. This time, however, Sean Payton will ensure he does not repeat that mistake. If the head coach’s instincts suggest one of the quarterbacks available in the class of 2024 has a skill set anywhere close to Patrick Mahomes, he would not think twice before drafting them.

After all, if he did draft Mahomes, Payton would have a lot more Super Bowls under his belt at this point. This time, the Broncos have the 12th overall pick in the draft. He is likely to go with Jayden Daniels or Michael Penix Jr. based on their availability. One thing is certain, he will focus on getting the next franchise QB of the Denver Broncos in this draft.

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