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One of the best draft classes in NFL history almost included a player who has the potential to be the greatest quarterback of all time.

While it's hard to be mad about landing Marshon Lattimore, who is one of the league's best cornerbacks, the Saints were prepared to select Patrick Mahomes in that spot before the Kansas City Chiefs stole him away. 

That pick would have changed the course of the franchise. Here is a look at the five biggest ways it would have impacted the team.***premium***

Do things still go well in 2017?

Rumors have circulated about how impatient Tom Benson was becoming during the run of 7-9 seasons. The owner was growing restless, and while it's unlikely anyone significant would have gotten fired, it is hard to imagine things staying status quo if New Orleans had endured a fourth losing season.

Maybe people decide to walk away. Maybe certain players don't want to come back. Projecting a change in direction is difficult and unfair, but it is easy to forget how fragile things felt after the 2015 and 2016 seasons when everyone wondered if Sean Payton would leave. Having Mahomes around probably changes the conversation regardless of how 2017 ends, but you never know.

What we do know is that Lattimore had a tremendous rookie season and is perhaps the most talented cornerback to take the field under the Payton regime. Without him, the Saints probably do not make the playoffs with Delvin Breaux, P.J. Williams and Ken Crawley at cornerback, especially since Breaux was injured.

Given that, the selection of Mahomes might have changed the trajectory of the rest of the draft. Specifically, do you go into the season with those cornerbacks or take Kevin King with the 32nd pick instead of Ramczyk?

The Saints stay true to their board at all costs, but perhaps that changes. We know how badly New Orleans wanted a cornerback after pursuing Malcolm Butler that offseason. If anything changed in that draft, it likely would have been the pick at 32. The Saints were high on Marcus Williams and Alvin Kamara was a favorite of Sean Payton, so neither of those selections likely change.

King ended up going 33rd to the Packers and has been pretty disappointing so far, but he was the consensus next-best cornerback. So, even with him on the team, New Orleans probably doesn't improve much, and losing Zach Strief to injury might have turned into a disaster since Ramczyk wouldn't have been around.

Odds are, this ends up being another season with single-digit wins. How much does the view of Marcus Williams change if his playoff gaffe never happens?

How long does Brees stick around?

A couple of years back, before the Mahomes situation played out, I asked Mickey Loomis a theoretical question about what it would mean for Drew Brees if the Saints drafted a quarterback in the first or second round. He said it wouldn't mean anything for him, and the team would welcome Brees back for as long as he gave them the best chance to win, noting the Saints would have five years to transition to the new player.

As the 2020 season looms, one could argue the Saints still have a good chance of winning with Brees at quarterback. Mahomes is a better player right now, but in this alternate history, someone would have to have the nerve to push Brees out the door while he is still incredibly useful and roll the dice with an unproven player. A losing record in 2017 would make it much easier to transition. But what happens if the Saints sneak into the playoffs? Does he come back? This decision might not have been the Saints' to make.

Brees very easily could have chosen to walk after 2017 and seek an opportunity with another team. The Broncos and Vikings were both in the market for quarterbacks after that year. Minnesota might have given Brees the best shot to win a title to end his career, while Denver had a little way to go but seemed appealing. Arizona was also coming off of an 8-8 season and needed a quarterback.

This situation likely would have hinged entirely on how 2017 played out. If the Saints are close to winning, Brees and the front office probably would have agreed to run it back one more time even if Mahomes looked incredible. But if the team missed the playoffs or backed its way in and got smoked in the first round, it's hard to see why they would have stuck together.

Does Taysom Hill land in New Orleans?

The Saints claimed Taysom Hill off waivers at the end of training camp in 2017 after he caught Payton's eye while scouting a wide receiver. In the alternate history, New Orleans would have had Brees, Mahomes and Chase Daniel on the roster, which wouldn't have left much room for Hill.

You have to remember that the original vision for Hill didn't include using him at a bunch of different positions. Even if Payton saw that tape and still liked Hill, it is hard to see New Orleans using a fourth roster spot on a quarterback or moving ahead with a rookie quarterback and Hill as Brees' only backups.

The impact this would have had on Hill's career is fascinating to consider. The Saints' creativity unleashed him in ways that other teams might not have found, which then bought him more time to develop as a quarterback. Hill might not have gotten the same level of patience to grow as a passer without the belief and vision the Saints have for him.

Teddy Bridgewater also could have seen his situation change. Maybe he ends up in a bad situation after his contract with the Jets expired, and perhaps doesn't prosper the same way he did during his five-game stretch as a starter with the Saints.

Remember, he was initially forced to come to New Orleans, and while he chose to stick around because he liked the team culture and wanted to learn, perhaps he doesn't gain the same perspective if his story unfolds differently.

Does Marcus Davenport ever become a Saint?

With another weak class of free-agent cornerbacks in 2018, New Orleans would have still been in the market for a cornerback entering the draft.

In the real chain of events, the Saints traded up to get Marcus Davenport in the first round and gave up its 2019 first-round pick. Since New Orleans probably isn't as good in 2017 without Lattimore at cornerback, it would have been picking in the middle of the first round, meaning a trade up to get an impact player wouldn't have been necessary.

Assuming another .500 or so season in 2017, the Saints would have been in range to grab Davenport without a trade or take cornerback Jaire Alexander, who ended up being selected by the Packers with the 18th pick.

Davenport has played well and is still only scratching his potential, but was selected with the idea that he would need time to develop. If New Orleans were coming off of a mediocre season and looking to improve, it would have been looking for someone who could contribute more quickly.

If everything else plays out the same, Alexander is probably the missing piece for a defense with most everything else it needs in place to succeed. While he isn't as talented as Lattimore, Alexander is good and has recorded seven interceptions over the last two seasons. New Orleans probably still makes this pick even with King on the roster since the cornerback position opposite Lattimore remained unsettled until landing Janoris Jenkins.

With Alexander at cornerback instead of Davenport at defensive end, and Mahomes or Brees at quarterback, the Saints would still be Super Bowl contenders.

So, then what about the 2019 first-round pick? New Orleans might not have done it since it selected Tre' Quan Smith in 2018, but Deebo Samuel would have been awfully enticing to pair with a big-armed quarterback like Mahomes with that selection.

And before you ask, yes, Michael Thomas would still be great with Mahomes at quarterback. He might not have had a record-breaking season like he did last year, but Thomas absolutely fits with the quarterback. Travis Kelce performs well on a similar route tree. Even though Mahomes has a huge arm, he only attempted 62 passes that traveled 20 more yards through the air last year, which gave him one more attempt than Tom Brady. Brees had 50 in 2018.

Do the Saints trade for Clowney?

Brees leaving after 2017 would have set New Orleans up to eat Brees' dead money in 2018 and then become players in the 2019 free-agency market.

Jared Cook is still an obvious signing. Without Davenport at defensive end and a need for pass rushers, the Saints probably would been willing to trade with Houston for Jadeveon Clowney if it missed out on Trey Flowers, who signed with Detroit, during the first wave of free agency.

Perhaps Ndamukong Suh would have been a target once again with the market for edge rushers rather dry.

After a good run in 2019, the Saints are everyone's pick to win the Super Bowl in 2020 as people wonder whether this team will be the most talented ever under Sean Payton. Whether it is or not, New Orleans has at least 12 more seasons to win with its superstar quarterback as long as it keeps him in town.