Sean Payton Told Jordan Spieth Patrick Mahomes Would Be ‘Steal of the Draft

Patrick Mahomes didn’t fall down the board too far in the 2017 NFL draft, but then-New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton knew the Kansas City Chiefs landed a blue-chipper.

Peter King of NBC Sports reported Payton told golfer Jordan Spieth he thought Mahomes would be the “steal of the draft.”

“We really like this Patrick Mahomes kid,” Payton said at the time. “He’s the steal of the draft. I’m not sure everyone knows that.”

The Chiefs selected Mahomes with the No. 10 pick in the 2017 draft, moving up in a trade with the Buffalo Bills. Mahomes was the second quarterback taken in the class behind Mitchell Trubisky, who went No. 2 overall to the Chicago Bears.

The Saints selected one pick behind Kansas City and took cornerback Marshon Lattimore. It’s unlikely New Orleans would have selected Mahomes even if he was on the board at No. 11. Drew Brees was coming off a season that saw him throw for 5,208 yards and 37 touchdowns.

While Brees was 37 at the time, it would have been a jaw-dropping roll of the dice to select Mahomes with the future Hall of Famer still on the roster.

The Chiefs took Mahomes despite incumbent Alex Smith being a Pro Bowler, but there is a difference between replacing an above-average starter and a franchise icon.

If Payton knew Mahomes would be a generational superstar who would capture three Super Bowls, though, odds are he would have shown Brees the door and still be coaching in New Orleans.