Over the next few months members of the passionate Who Dat Nation as well as media like myself will talk and write ad nauseum about the New Orleans Saints quarterback position.The question:Who’s playing QB for the Black & Gold in 2022?Let’s dive in and I’ll give you my answer to that question!RUSSELL WILSON AND AARON RODGERS:The two biggest names in the rumor mill.Everyone from Bogalusa to Boutte can agree, Wilson or Rodgers make the Saints legit favorites in the NFC in 2022.The problems are, will they become available and do the Saints have enough to outbid other teams who’ll have interest?I think both players hit the trade market this offseason.I don’t think the Saints are a realistic option because so many teams can offer better packages than Saints GM Mickey Loomis.When the dust settles, I think Rodgers ends up in Denver and Wilson with the New York Giants.NBC sports Peter King floated a possible deal for Rodgers I like. “Denver trades wide receiver Jerry Jeudy, two first-round draft picks and a fourth-round pick to the Packers in exchange for Rodgers,” wrote King.As for a deal between the Seahawks and the Giants, I can see New York sending three first round picks to Seattle for Wilson.New York gives up picks No. 5 and No. 7 in 2022 and a first-round selection in 2023 to land Wilson.So, I’m scratching Wilson and Rodgers as possibilities for the Saints in 2022.DESHAUN WATSON:Currently not worth discussing and not a realistic possibility for the Saints or any other team until his ongoing legal issues are resolved. JIMMY GAROPPOLO:Let me set the record straight, I’m a big fan of Garoppolo and think he’d be a perfect fit for Sean Payton’s offense.I also think San Francisco trades Garoppolo this offseason and goes with Trey Lance as their starting QB in 2022.That said, I recently had a great conversation with my friend and ESPN reporter Mike Triplett about Garoppolo and we discussed some interesting possibilities.If the Saints want Garoppolo, they can get him!New Orleans’ 2022 first-round draft pick would be enough to trump all the other teams interested in Jimmy G.I can see the Steelers, Texans, Panthers and Washington Football Team all having serious interest in Garoppolo.I can’t see Houston offering pick No. 3, Carolina parting with selection No. 6 or even WFT making pick No. 11 in the 2022 draft available to get him, so that leads me to the Saints at the No. 18 selection. The discussion Triplett and I had centered on the cost for Garoppolo. Pick No. 18 and most likely a contract extension for the 30-year-old signal caller who played his college ball at the same school (Eastern Illinois) as Sean Payton.Is that too much for Garoppolo?In the end, Michael convinced me, it probably is!So, if the Saints won’t send a first-round pick to San Francisco for Garoppolo and the deal starts with a second-round selection as the premier asset, other teams move onto equal footing with New Orleans when it comes to making a trade happen.In the end, I think Houston ends up hiring Josh McDaniels or Jerod Mayo and Garoppolo is reunited with an old Patriots coach. The Texans deal for Garoppolo is headlined by the 37th overall pick (2nd round) in the 2022 NFL draft.JAMEIS WINSTON, TEDDY BRIDGEWATER & MARCUS MARIOTAThree solid veterans who may all land starting jobs with teams in 2022.Had Jameis Winston not been injured I think the Saints would have made it into the playoffs.Since arriving in New Orleans Winston has proven he’s matured as a man and grown as a football player.But I still don’t think he’s option No. 1 at quarterback for the Saints this offseason.I'll go even further, my gut tells me if the team must go with a fallback option, they may reunite with Bridgewater before re-signing Winston. Remember, Teddy did go 5-0 when Drew Brees was injured in 2019 and while he may not make as many “wow” plays as Winston, his risk-aversion approach is something a franchise led by an outstanding defense and great running back may appreciate.I recall Sean Payton having interest in Mariota when he entered the NFL and some reports linking the Saints to a possible trade to acquire the 2014 Heisman Trophy winner. Given his dual threat abilities, I could see Payton having interest in a low-risk, high-reward deal for Mariota in 2022.Again, all three of these guys are fallback options who would get contract offers from New Orleans like the one Winston received in 2021, $5-7 million guaranteed with the possibility of earning up to $12-15 million based on incentives. TAYSOM HILL AND IAN BOOKTechnically, the Saints will have two quarterbacks under contract entering the 2022 offseason.I’m forever a Taysom Hill cheerleader, and I think at times in 2021 he played very well. So, if the Saints re-sign Winston or Bridgewater or add someone like Mariota, I’d expect a repeat of what we saw in training camp last year – a wide open competition.If Sean Payton lands a “franchise” QB, Hill reverts to his jack-of-all-trades role and gets paid handsomely to do so.If the quarterback competition is wide open in 2022, Book has a chance to win the job. The Saints certainly aren’t clearing the way for him but if the Black & Gold start offseason workouts with say Winston or Bridgewater, Hill, and Book, I don’t see why the former Notre Dame star won’t get a fair chance to compete.2022 NFL DRAFTBefore I discuss the 2022 NFL draft, let me remind you that in 2021 the Saints explored trading up for one of the two players. ESPN’s Dianna Russini reported the two players New Orleans was targeting were cornerback Jaycee Horn and quarterback Mac Jones.While Saints GM Mickey Loomis never mentioned specific players by name, he acknowledged the team explored trading up but could not find a trade partner who was willing to move down to No. 28 overall (where the Saints picked in the first round of the 2021 draft).Jones went to New England No. 14 overall and has been a steady hand at the wheel for a Patriots team headed to the playoffs.Does the 2022 NFL draft feature a “franchise” quarterback the New Orleans Saints are interested in picking? I think so!Since October I’ve been tweeting about University of Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett.I think he checks a ton of boxes the Saints hierarchy looks for in a player at that position and he’s the guy I think Sean Payton wants as his next QB!Analysts are all over the place when it comes to the quarterback position in the 2022 draft.I’ve seen some mock drafts which have Pickett going second overall to Detroit and some where he falls to Pittsburgh at No. 20 overall.Since I don’t think Pickett falls to the Saints at No. 18, I believe Payton and Loomis will do what they’ve done four previous times in the first round of the draft since 2006 – trade up.Realizing they probably must get in front of the Washington Football Team (No. 11) and Minnesota (No. 12), the Saints trade Pick No. 18 and a 5th round selection in 2022 as well as their first and fourth round selections in 2023 to the New York Jets to move up and pick Pickett at No. 10 overall.The draft compensation for a move like this mirrors that of the Chicago Bears who moved up from No. 20 to No. 11 in 2021 to select Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields.So, there you have it, the New Orleans Saints starting quarterback in 2022 (in my opinion) is Kenny Pickett from the University of Pittsburgh. Becoming the first QB taken in the first round since Archie Manning in 1971, it’ll be interesting to see if Manning lets Pickett wear his famed #8 jersey. While the Saints don’t officially retire jersey numbers, no player since Archie has worn #8.Some of you may be asking, "how does Pickett get to No. 10 overall?"In the football fantasy world created for this article, my belief is Detroit, Houston and Carolina all pass on drafting a quarterback to address more pressing needs.Seattle uses one of the top-10 picks it gets from New York in the Russell Wilson deal I proposed and the Seahawks take either Matt Corral from Ole Miss or Malik Willis from Liberty University.Pickett is the second signal caller taken in 2022, 10th overall to the New Orleans Saints.