Poll Preference : Dart or Sanders (81 Viewers)

[No2DC]

With or without the context of SEC vs Big 12? Bowl games?

Personally, I don't think the Saints need to get a QB this year, especially not with the 9th overall.

Maybe not this year but soon.

 

[Black&GoldForever]

Look, I like Rattler but what is the deal with not wanting other QBs to have a real competition? Rattler did not win a game, completed 57% passing and had 4 tds and 5 ints. That ain’t burning it up in my book. If he wins the competition then he can start but until then I’m rooting for any QB that Moore gives the starting job.

I don't mind Rattler having competition. I just don't want to waste the 9th pick on someone that I feel can't beat him out. I really don't want to use any picks in the first 4 rounds on a QB with all the holes we have to fill. Also Aikman went 0-11 his rookie season with a rating in the 50's

 

[Tulsa Saint]

I'm on record saying that I think Sanders is the best overall QB prospect this year. However, I understand that many people are not fans of him or his father, so I won't get into any back-and-forth about him. I just hope we take a QB high in the next couple of years.

If it’s sanders: cool

If it’s dart: cool

I just want them to take a guy whom there’ll be 100% backing by Moore/the staff/the org.

There’s needs to be vision

 

[RaginCajun83]

Look, I like Rattler but what is the deal with not wanting other QBs to have a real competition? Rattler did not win a game, completed 57% passing and had 4 tds and 5 ints. That ain’t burning it up in my book. If he wins the competition then he can start but until then I’m rooting for any QB that Moore gives the starting job.

Given the situation he was thrown into, I think he did better then one would expect

 

[SonOfNOLA]

Big defensive talent difference from SEC and Big 12. One QB is playing against future nfl players, the other is playing against future arena league players.

Big 12 produces similar overall numbers of NFL players. 2 SEC schools produces more earlier round picks for sure. That doesn’t have anything to do with 1 QB having better field vision and ball placement. Conferences would be moving the goalposts to knock who was obviously more consistent and simply has better passing numbers in all 4 years. Alabama and Georgia have the elite defenses in the SEC but they aren’t on Ole Miss’ schedule every week. Sanders was in contention to be the #1 pick a few months ago without playing in the SEC.

 

[saintmike23]

If this were a blind poll and the choices were 70.1% completion percentage / 134 career tds or 65.7% completion percentage / 81 career tds, the results would show a preference for what actually matters.

Add weak arm to that

 

[stadanko]

I see where you are coming from but this is a pretty rough year to have the 9th pick. What are our other options?

Shemar Stewart?
Mykel Williams(whom the the mockers love for the saints)
Will Johnson?
An OL that’s not an immediate fit at G which is too high for 9 anyway?

Of course id like Jeanty(who probably won’t be there)or maybe Tyler Warren but I’m getting to the point where if the staff is sold in either one of these guys at QB then they should be the pick.

We’d still have 40/71/93/111/131 to get starters at G/WR(and or TE)/DL/DB etc.

I'd rather have Jadae Baron, Jihaad Campbell, a lineman, Warren, Jeanty, any of them. I've even seen some Mason Graham slides. We can still get a strong starter. We just should not force QB in this draft. It feels like the 2015 draft with Jameis and Mariota. No real franchise changing QBs. I'd rather take a 3rd round flier on Milroe than Sanders at 9.

 

[DerrickB]

I guess this will be the new QB feud up until draft night. If they take Shedeur, then we have no choice.
But the Rattler hive is still around.

 

[tyler735]

Can we agree that completion percentage IS the most important stat that either of us have mentioned? If we can, it isn't a cherry-picked stat. I think the concensus amongst most professional evaluators is that completion percentage is the best indicator of a QB's potential for success. It's how you don't end up with Anthony Richardson (not saying Jaxson is anywhere close to that).

Completion percentage matters to a point. If a player is under 50% alarm bells certainly should go off as it’s a huge red flag. If a player is under 60% there likely is some concern as well but not a deal breaker. Over 60% is where diminishing returns start to happen evaluating QB’s. Often times different offense types, level of competition, surrounding talent, depth of target come into play and can easily skew completion numbers.

For reference best college season (min 100 attempts) for:

Pat Mahomes 65%
Josh Allen 56%
Lamar Jackson 59%
Jalen Hurts 69%
Jared Goff 64%
Baker Mayfield 70%
Justin Herbert 67%

The difference between Dart’s 69.3% completion percentage vs Sanders 74% completion percentage is negligible.

For example, in 2024 Sanders attempted 477 passes (353 completed). Dart attempted 398 (completed 276 passes). Despite Sanders having 79 more attempts and 77 more completions, Dart still managed to throw for more yards than Sanders did in 2024:

Dart- 4,279
Sanders- 4,134

In other words, Dart was consistently completing more difficult passes than Sanders was.

Yards per completion

Dart- 15.5
Sanders- 11.7

Average Depth of Target

Dart- 11.9 yards
Sanders- 8.1 yards

Despite Sanders throwing much shorter and easier throws, he still managed to have a higher interception percentage than Dart (2.1% vs 1.5%). Not to mention Sanders took 42 sacks in 2024 (52 in 2023) while Dart only was sacked 28 times in 2024 (27 in 2023). There are significant concerns with Sanders holding the ball too long.

There’s also miscellaneous stats like Dart was more effected by drops than any of the top QB’s in this draft class. Dart also was graded by PFF as the best QB throwing under pressure by an huge margin (about 5 percentage points).

This doesn’t even touch on the fact that Sanders played in the Big 12 while Dart played in the SEC. Sanders had arguably the top WR in the nation to throw to in Travis Hunter as well while Dart had a very good WR in Tre Harris, but he missed almost half the season with an injury. Dart is also a year younger than Sanders.

Dart ran for 495 yards in 2024 (389 yards in 2023 and 614 yards in 2022) Sanders ran for negative yards in his 2 seasons at Colorado (-50 yards in 2024 and -77 yards in 2023). Dart is a legit threat to make plays with his legs that defenses have to account for. Sanders not so much.

Then there’s physical traits. Dart has a stronger arm and more arm talent to make off schedule plays. Dart has a bigger more sturdy frame. Dart is a better athlete.

Suppose all this to say, Dart has really grown on me as a prospect the more I’ve dug into him. Sanders (even overlooking the “potential” ego and father concerns) has some red flags that I’d be very worried about taking him in the first round. Not saying I think he’s a “bust”, but I do have concerns that his ceiling might be along the lines of an Andy Dalton type QB.

 

[dutar76]

Whichever one Coach Kellen wants.

This should've been a Pole option.
and tacoes, but I've have gone with Booker's answer.

 

[IlovemySaints]

The knock on him is he holds onto the ball too long and doesn't throw it away to keep his completion % up. His father also kept the ball out of his hands when it mattered so that's a question about his makeup when the game is on the line, his father didn't even trust him.

Sounds like a made up narrative “his father didn’t trust him” I don’t buy that part
Now holding on to the ball is something to criticize but it can be improved his td to int rate is good and he takes what the defense gives that’s 2 good traits I believe if you focus on building the rest of the team you can atleast be the 49ers with Purdy

 

[IlovemySaints]

If Sanders was elite he would have dominated the competition because Big 12 is known as a defense optional conference

That’s not true completely it’s the same how people give Carr a pass because of surrounding cast he came basically to a winless team with all new parts meaning no real time for chemistry I do think most of the criticism comes from who his father is and that’s unfortunate

 

[IlovemySaints]

Big defensive talent difference from SEC and Big 12. One QB is playing against future nfl players, the other is playing against future arena league players.

Also playing with them football is football if ya heart in it and you a dog only thing can stop you is yourself and politics
The school Jerry rice and marques Colston went to made no difference they’re are good/great players everywhere

 

[JBofWDN]

Completion percentage matters to a point. If a player is under 50% alarm bells certainly should go off as it’s a huge red flag. If a player is under 60% there likely is some concern as well but not a deal breaker. Over 60% is where diminishing returns start to happen evaluating QB’s. Often times different offense types, level of competition, surrounding talent, depth of target come into play and can easily skew completion numbers.

For reference best college season (min 100 attempts) for:

Pat Mahomes 65%
Josh Allen 56%
Lamar Jackson 59%
Jalen Hurts 69%
Jared Goff 64%
Baker Mayfield 70%
Justin Herbert 67%

The difference between Dart’s 69.3% completion percentage vs Sanders 74% completion percentage is negligible.

For example, in 2024 Sanders attempted 477 passes (353 completed). Dart attempted 398 (completed 276 passes). Despite Sanders having 79 more attempts and 77 more completions, Dart still managed to throw for more yards than Sanders did in 2024:

Dart- 4,279
Sanders- 4,134

In other words, Dart was consistently completing more difficult passes than Sanders was.

Yards per completion

Dart- 15.5
Sanders- 11.7

Average Depth of Target

Dart- 11.9 yards
Sanders- 8.1 yards

Despite Sanders throwing much shorter and easier throws, he still managed to have a higher interception percentage than Dart (2.1% vs 1.5%). Not to mention Sanders took 42 sacks in 2024 (52 in 2023) while Dart only was sacked 28 times in 2024 (27 in 2023). There are significant concerns with Sanders holding the ball too long.

There’s also miscellaneous stats like Dart was more effected by drops than any of the top QB’s in this draft class. Dart also was graded by PFF as the best QB throwing under pressure by an huge margin (about 5 percentage points).

This doesn’t even touch on the fact that Sanders played in the Big 12 while Dart played in the SEC. Sanders had arguably the top WR in the nation to throw to in Travis Hunter as well while Dart had a very good WR in Tre Harris, but he missed almost half the season with an injury. Dart is also a year younger than Sanders.

Dart ran for 495 yards in 2024 (389 yards in 2023 and 614 yards in 2022) Sanders ran for negative yards in his 2 seasons at Colorado (-50 yards in 2024 and -77 yards in 2023). Dart is a legit threat to make plays with his legs that defenses have to account for. Sanders not so much.

Then there’s physical traits. Dart has a stronger arm and more arm talent to make off schedule plays. Dart has a bigger more sturdy frame. Dart is a better athlete.

Suppose all this to say, Dart has really grown on me as a prospect the more I’ve dug into him. Sanders (even overlooking the “potential” ego and father concerns) has some red flags that I’d be very worried about taking him in the first round. Not saying I think he’s a “bust”, but I do have concerns that his ceiling might be along the lines of an Andy Dalton type QB.

Woah. I appreciate the deep dive, but the question was "can we agree that completion percentage is the most important stat that either of us have mentioned", and it was mostly rhetorical as you'd already given an example comparing Shadeur to Gabriel (a lesser QB) having more passing yards/tds but a worse completion percentage. You're not completely wrong, though; there are tons of nuance that goes into evaluating QBs.

The examples you gave of QBs entering the NFL with sub 70% completion percentages are spot on, but I think you might of misinterpreted my preference for a statistically better, more polished, Shadeur over Dart as me painting Dart as a scrub. Shadeur is just more polished and pro-ready and I think you even alluded to it. You mentioned Shadeur not having the physical traits and getting it done with the shorter throws. I see that as smart decision making, being able to compensate, and prioritizing accuracy over mobility/physicality. I think those are the traits that any QB who wants a long successful NFL career needs to have. I think those are traits that some of the QBs you listed took time to develop at the NFL level. I think Shadeur is walking in the door with it.