Could ‘Mahomes regret’ compel Sean Payton to trade up?

Sean Payton loved Patrick Mahomes in the lead-up to the 2017 NFL Draft.

“I remember thinking, ‘The only thing I don’t like about the player is his voice.’ That’s how great an impression he left on us,’” Payton recalled to Peter King in February.

Sean Payton loved Mahomes so much that the New Orleans Saints were poised to select the then-Texas Tech quarterback with the No. 11 overall pick. But Kansas City jumped the line, trading up with the Buffalo Bills for the 10th choice. The Chiefs selected Mahomes, and the rest is history that is still being written — with the final chapter being an already-locked-down place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Payton working with Mahomes one of the great what-ifs in the sport’s history. New Orleans has struggled to navigate the post-Drew Brees waters, going 25-26 since his retirement. And Payton is now with Denver, attempting to solve the quarterbacking riddle that has confounded the Broncos since Super Bowl 50.

Payton and the Saints were the league’s most aggressive team at trading up in the draft during his 16 seasons as head coach.

“The irony being that the one time they, they didn’t slide up, it was when Mahomes was in their reach,” NFL.com’s Eric Edholm said on Orange and Blue Today.

George Paton has espoused the "more darts" draft philosophy. The Saints were the NFL's most aggressive team at moving up during Sean Payton's 16 years there.

Which philosophy will win out? @Eric_Edholm joins @CecilLammey and me to discuss: pic.twitter.com/GFNj9c1oRa

— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) April 11, 2024

“Does he have Mahomes regret and does he see somebody of somewhat similar quality that he could possibly go up for?”

“If that’s the case — as I was saying earlier, if it truly is a solar-eclipse rarity, like you’re only going to get one every ten years — you pull the trigger and you deal with the consequences later because you know that that player can elevate lesser players and cover up spots,” Edholm said.

Of course, that’s where the Broncos’ internal dynamic comes into play. Payton and the New Orleans Saints were aggressive. He was a part of the Broncos showing that same aggression last year when the team sacrificed a third-round pick this year to select cornerback Riley Moss.

Meanwhile, general manager George Paton spoke at his first press conference as Broncos general manager in January 2021 about the “more darts” philosophy of trading down and accumulating more choices. In 2021, he used that strategy to turn one third-round pick into two: edge rusher Baron Browning and guard Quinn Meinerz.

“The more picks, the more darts, the better your chances of hitting the bullseye,” Paton said three years ago.

If those voices collide, which one wins the day?

“I mean, obviously you don’t hire Sean Payton if you don’t think he’s going to have a pretty large say on the franchise,” Edholm said.

“Now I’m not suggesting that George Paton doesn’t have a say in matters. Of course he does. But at the end of the day, [Payton] is still going to make what I believe is the final call — or at least the most compelling reason why they should do what he wants to do.

“It’s going to be a pretty loud voice in the room.”

And that voice might be tinged with regret over the all-timer that got away — in the year when Payton and the Saints decided to stand pat.