New Orleans Saints: J.T. Barrett spices up quarterback room

The New Orleans Saints went back to the Buckeyes and signed quarterback J.T. Barrett as an undrafted free agent, and he’s an intriguing fit.

The 2018 NFL Draft was full of surprises. From teams trading up and down or shipping players away, it’s tough to keep track. Despite trading up in the first round, the New Orleans Saints had a pretty tame draft. One thing that shocked a lot of fans, myself included, is them trading up — but not for Lamar Jackson.

In a lot of mock drafts, many assumed Jackson would fall to them or they would trade up. The team surprised many by moving up and drafting Marcus Davenport. In Days 2 and 3, the Saints failed to pick up a quarterback. Finally, in undrafted free agency, the Saints met with Ohio State’s J.T. Barrett. Days later, the team signed him to a standard three-year contract.

Barrett comes from Ohio State and the Saints are known for loving former Buckeyes. Marshon Lattimore, Michael Thomas and Von Bell all went to Ohio State and have had success with the team. It’s a little trivial, but worth mentioning.

In terms of experience, Barrett has the numbers to back it up. During last season, he threw for 35 touchdowns to nine interceptions and over 3,000 yards. In addition, Barrett wasn’t afraid of using his legs. Barrett is definitely an underrated prospect because he has the makings of a good NFL quarterback. He has decent stats and is known for being a tremendous leader, but he does have some shortcomings. His size and ability as a pure passer have been called into question.

Next: Saints: Was trading up for Marcus Davenport the right move?

He’s going to need a little extra help to make the final 53-man roster, but it’s a low-risk move the Saints are willing to make. However, with the backup job in New Orleans being wide-open and Barrett coming in to compete with Taysom Hill, this could at least spice things up a bit.