Why indulge in the objective reality when you can get your football fix from subjective hypotheticals? For the Saints faithful, who’ve certainly seen better days, living in the imaginary world this time of year is probably more peaceful. With the actual games on pause, the NFL Draft has taken precedence within NOLA- Not that they’d mind! The beat writers and fans alike have run through pretty much every permutation and combination for how their draft board will shape up. However, there may have been a blind spot, an oversight. A player who, quite frankly, you’d be hard-pressed to find mentioned across the media or in general discourse. There’s a tangible reason to why said player has not cropped up on the airwaves. But conversely, there’s also reasons why he’s spawned on new HC Kellen Moore’s radar.
At risk of flaring some PTSD within Saints fans, cast your minds back to Week 2 last season. New QB1 Derek Carr seemed to have hit a second wind in his career. They put up a whopping 91 points en route a 2-0 start, including 44 on a healthy Cowboys in their own backyard. There was excitement about whether we were witnessing a renaissance for Carr. Alas, what transpired the rest of the way was not very artsy. 7 consecutive losses followed, and it resulted in Dennis Allen getting the proverbial boot. Carr’s season ended prematurely with injury, and the now-appointed Kellen Moore opted into experimenting the rest of the way with Spencer Rattler. A litmus test of sorts. Well, he proved anything but basic. Albeit not in a good way.
It’s like clockwork how an offensive-minded coach’s arrival coincides with them being in the quarterback sweepstakes come draft season. But there’s a rationale for Kellen Moore and the Saints being in the fray. Derek Carr’s still expected to hold fort in the immediate. But he’s no spring chicken, and a succession plan is requisite. The salary cap issues at the franchise are such that hitting on a quarterback on the rookie scale contract is one of the only ways to escape purgatory. As a result, the Saints have been touted to grab one with the 9th overall pick. However, this quarterback class is void of top-end quality. Especially relative to last year, when 6 went in the Top 12 picks. This, in tandem with Carr still being on the books, justifies punting a low draft pick on a high ceiling, sleeper QB. As such, Moore seems to have eyes on one that epitomizes the word “punt.”
Enter the equation one Graham Mertz. A former 4-star prospect who most recently played for the Florida Gators. Mertz transferred over to the Swamp from Wisconsin, where he initially spent 4 years. He chose to hit the portal after the Badgers fired HC Paul Chryst. Well, his time at Florida initially began well. The ‘23 season was Graham Mertz’s very best in his long-drawn collegiate career where he made 48 starts and threw for north of 9k yards. That season he put up 2.903 passing yards, 20 TDs and merely 3 picks through 11 games. Graham Mertz began the 2024 season where he left of as well. This was a guy with real momentum and his performances were reciprocated with piquing interest from the NFL. However, he did his ACL in game 5. Mertz has been out of sight and out of mind since. Before now rising from his forced slumber and taking strides- both literally and figuratively.
6 months on from the devastating blow, Graham Mertz took to IG and posted a montage of his rehab process. What began with clips of him lying haplessly on his back transpired into an inspirational journey of Mertz getting his mojo back in towards the end. The montage details how he began his recovery at the Gators’ facility and pushed himself to be ready by their Pro Day. Airing that pigskin as well as ever. Mertz captioned this IG story with, “6 Months Thank you God for the process, the pain and the peace!” He accompanied this message to the Almighty with an excerpt from the Bible. Namely, Job 14:7 through 14:9. Making a full recovery in this amount of time is pretty miraculous, almost as if this really was a divine intervention.
This is someone who’s gone through real adversity. For Mertz to come over on the other side as spirited is just great. He really did make the most of this fast-tracked recovery. Not only did Graham Mertz feature at Florida’s Pro Day, he was brilliant. Those in attendance were in unanimous agreement. Speaking of those attending this reintroduction of Mertz, Kellen Moore didn’t quite make the trip to the Sunshine State. But a certain Doug Nussmeier did.
Graham Mertz put a clinic on Pro Day, opening an alternative route for Kellen Moore
NFL Insider Tom Pellissero reported on X, “Quick healer: Five months after ACL surgery, former Florida QB Graham Mertz threw a 58-pass script at his pro day today with only four balls hitting the ground. #Saints OC Doug Nussmeier was there, as well as QB coaches for Houston, Miami and Dallas.” A former NFL quarterback himself, Nussmeier served as the QBs coach on the Eagles last year. Listen, he’d probably want to wait out this year and draft his son Garrett Nussmeier in the ‘26 cycle. But in all seriousness, his presence in Gainesville does corroborate the Saints’ interest in Mertz.
Kellen Moore not being physically present at Graham Mertz’s Pro Day showing isn’t much to go off either. He wasn’t in Colorado for Shedeur Sanders’ either. And we know there’s some interest in Shedeur for the franchise. Mertz could well be an alternative if they decide against going QB in round 1. There’s no smoke without fire. Conceded, the Saints are likely just doing their due diligence. But this is worth keeping an eye out for. Mertz has no real draft stock to speak of. In a draft lacking quality at the position group, he could be a shrewd pick on Day 3. Mertz is the Gators’ career leader in completion percentage and Pellissero did attest him being uber-accurate in his post. He’s no Drew Brees, but it is something. At over 6’3, Mertz has got the frame as well. He weighed in at a lowly 212 at the Combine, but you’d expect him to bulk up steadily as he progresses through his ACL rehab.
ACL injuries are always a red flag when trading for or drafting a player. But it’s worth mentioning they aren’t as career-altering anymore. Graham Mertz’s quick recovery is a testament to how the impact of doing your ACL has diminished over the years. It remains to be seen if Kellen Moore, or anyone for that matter, takes a shot in the dark with Mertz. It’ll have to be a leap of faith across multiple hurdles, but one that could bear fruit. The risk-reward ratio is there for a player with these tangibles, which he put on tape, and intangibles that he showed in staying on course in adverse circumstances.
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