Incredible! Sean Payton Reflects On Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reid, And The Draft Decision That Shaped NFL History…See More 👇

One of the most remarkable “sliding doors” moments in NFL history occurred in 2017 when Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton, then with the New Orleans Saints, almost selected Patrick Mahomes with the 11th overall pick in the draft.

This near-miss, now revealed in ESPN’s Seth Wickersham’s American Kings: A Biography of the American Quarterback, sheds light on Payton’s thought process and the decisions that shaped his future as an NFL head coach.

As the Saints’ head coach, Payton was known for his ability to identify and nurture talent. He created a unique evaluation formula that prioritized one thing above all: avoiding sacks.

This emphasis on preventing negative plays through sacks led Payton to rank Mahomes highly in his quarterback evaluations. Mahomes’ score of 8.1, meaning that 8.1% of the time something negative occurred when he played, was one of the highest Payton had seen.

Payton was impressed by Mahomes not just on paper but in person as well. The two had an in-depth face-to-face meeting where Mahomes showed off his exceptional football IQ. Payton gave Mahomes a 17-page packet of offensive plays the night before their meeting, and Mahomes aced the test the next day.

“I’m pretty good with tests like that,” Mahomes casually said, leaving Payton in awe. His grasp of the plays solidified Payton’s belief that Mahomes had everything needed to succeed in the NFL.

The Draft Day decision: What happened next
On draft day, everything appeared to align for Payton to select Mahomes at No. 11. However, fate took a dramatic turn when the Buffalo Bills, holding the 10th pick, traded down. Mahomes was still available, and Payton thought this was his moment. But then, the Kansas City Chiefs traded up to the 10th pick, swooping in and selecting Mahomes.

At that moment, Payton respected the move by Chiefs head coach Andy Reid. Mahomes would go on to revolutionize the quarterback position, leading the Chiefs to three Super Bowl wins in just seven years. Payton had to quickly adjust his strategy, knowing that Mahomes was no longer an option.

Instead, he chose cornerback Marshon Lattimore, who turned out to be an excellent pick. Lattimore went on to win NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and became a four-time Pro Bowler.

Perhaps the most telling part of the 2017 draft was who Payton didn’t select: Deshaun Watson. Despite a clear need for a quarterback, Payton passed on Watson, who was taken by the Houston Texans just one pick later.

Watson quickly became a Pro Bowler, but his career has been marred by off-field controversies and injuries, leading to a rocky tenure with the Cleveland Browns. Meanwhile, Mahomes’ success in Kansas City continues to elevate his legacy as one of the NFL’s all-time greats.

For Payton, the decision to pass on Mahomes was a pivotal moment in his career. While the Saints’ defense flourished with Lattimore, Payton undoubtedly wonders how different things might have been if Mahomes had joined the Saints. Now, as head coach of the Broncos, Payton is tasked with building a new legacy, though the memory of this draft-day miss still lingers.