‘Perform so well that you no longer have to woo the NFL giants. Instead, the suitors want to land you or nobody else.’
Right now, the aforementioned narrative fits the best with a college football athlete. That’s none other than Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning. Well, we know how the haters will never get tired of their ‘nepo kid’ attacks. But it’s now high time for them to put the blinders down.
Manning has lived up to his heavyweight last name, putting up some recommendable stats. The 19-year-old already has the eyes of the 2x Super Bowl champions fixed on him. However, an analyst believes that it’s going to be the $5 billion franchise that would bring Manning home. Maybe that’s part of the universe’s plan, as one of the team’s players faced a dark fate….
The ceiling is already too high for Manning, And guess what? He does not even have to look for external pressure. Thanks to his rich family legacy. It dates back to Arch’s grandfather, Archie Manning, who was drafted No. 2 overall out of Ole Miss. Later on, his uncles Eli and Peyton Manning made their father proud by landing as the No.1 overall pick in their respective drafts. And the buzz has already begun for Longhorns’ quarterback.
On March 25, at Texas Pro Day, pictures went viral where Manning was spotted catching up with Los Angeles Rams General Manager Les Snead. The fact that Snead’s son is in Texas, he already has an idea how powerful Manning is. However, he needs to come up with a solid plan, after all, the young chap is likely to get lured away.
2026 NFL Mock Draft. pic.twitter.com/Qnuhx2ez3J
— Nader Mirfiq (@Nader723) April 19, 2025
The strongest pursuer will be the New Orleans Saints. Well, definitely anything can happen in the future. While Manning is projected to be available for the 2026 NFL Draft, ESPN analyst Adam Schefter landed a wake-up call. “There’s no guarantee that Arch Manning’s coming out after next year. It sounds like he certainly could be staying beyond next year.” In that case, tanking for a player who hasn’t been a full-time starter in college feels a bit reckless.
But again, that’s Manning, folks! On April 18, Saints insider Nader Mirfiq tweeted a teaser with the caption, “2026 NFL Mock Draft. .” The projections read, “By the 2026 NFL Draft, the Saints could be looking for a young quarterback to replace Derek Carr.” To make the projections stronger, the analyst sought the help of Manning’s stats.
The 2024 season saw the quarterback go on and off the gridiron. Thanks to Steve Sarkisian’s former quarterback Quinn Ewers. Even though he had limited action, Manning came up with a 66.3% completion rate, racking up 969 yards and 9 touchdowns. The 6-foot-4, 225-pounder also gifted Longhorns fans two rushing touchdowns. However, for this hype, Manning needs to be thankful to Derek Carr.
Draft analyst’s five-step plan to land Arch Manning
The Saints are likely to jump into the Manning race. With the new head coach, Kellen Moore, in the hood, they are now facing a big question mark when it comes to their quarterback situation. They received the crushing news that star quarterback Carr could miss the entire 2025 season with a shoulder injury. As NFL Spinzone’s Lou Scataglia noted, “Carr is simply not all that good and isn’t going to lead the Saints to where they and where other NFL teams want to go. He’s beginning to age well into his 30s and is an average-at-best QB. Derek Carr has to be on thin ice approaching the NFL Draft.” In that way, it’s hard to imagine that the Saints would hold onto Carr beyond this season.
On that note, draft analyst Thor Nystrom sprang up with his take. He can’t envision anybody other than Manning in Moore’s blueprint to success. On April 11, he tweeted a step-by-step instruction for New Orleans to follow. “Step 1: Rule Carr out for the season Step 2: Announce Spencer Rattler as QB1 Step 3: Earn the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 draft Step 4: Be a major player in free agency next spring by using rolled-over cap relief from Carr missing previous season Step 5: Draft Arch Manning.” Their 24-year-old rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler went 0-6 as a starter in 2024. So will they count on Manning? Even if they do, will the 19-year-old count on them?
Well, Arch Manning might have a soft corner for the New Orleans Saints. After all, his grandfather, Archie, spent 11 seasons (1971 to 1982) as the Saints’ franchise quarterback. Meanwhile, the Longhorns quarterback must be basking in all the hype. For instance, analyst Greg McElroy noted, “He’s [Arch] the guy that is best positioned to challenge Patrick Mahomes at the next level.” On the other hand, Art Stapleton is already living in 2031. He tweeted, “The year is 2031. Arch Manning has won his second Super Bowl with the Jets, and the Giants and Steelers are still waiting for an answer from Aaron Rodgers.”
So, the chatter’s loud, but his cleats are still grounded in Austin—time to handle business there first.
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