METAIRIE, La. -- Coach Sean Payton continued to express his "love" for quarterback Drew Brees on Friday night. But for the first time since Payton and Brees became one of the NFL's all-time great power couples in 2006, the New Orleans Saints' eyes are starting to wander.

The Saints drafted Colorado State quarterback Garrett Grayson with the 75th overall pick on Friday -- the highest they've selected a quarterback since Archie Manning with the No. 2 overall pick in 1971. More importantly, it was the first time they've drafted a QB before Round 7 in the Payton-Brees era and the first time they toured the country, holding extensive workouts with several midround QB prospects leading up to the draft.

I can't blame the Saints one bit for being proactive with the quarterback position. Brees is 36 years old, he's coming off a slightly down season that was marred by too many turnovers, and he has only two years remaining on his contract. Insurance can be a necessary investment.

But I would also caution the Saints not to get too cute and shove Brees out the door too early.

I was prepared to rip the Saints if they had drafted a QB with pick No. 31 or 44 -- which in my mind would have been the equivalent of stamping an expiration date on Brees while hurting his chances of winning in the interim.

However, waiting until pick No. 75 showed good enough restraint that it feels appropriate, especially considering the Saints had five picks in the top three rounds this year.

"I understand the story, certainly, with where Drew is in his career. But you truly try to pay attention to how these grades fit," said Payton, who insisted that Grayson was the only quarterback prospect the Saints would have drafted that high after they took a close look at several prospects, including Baylor's Bryce Petty.

"For us, there wasn't more than one. This was the player if he was available. And if not, we probably would have went without drafting a quarterback," said Payton, who said the Saints also had a high enough grade on New England Patriots quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo that they might have done the same thing if he slipped further in 2014, and on Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Mike Glennon in 2013.

"I think it'd be different if all of a sudden we're taking a quarterback in the first round and we had a different vision," Payton said. "But in our case, it's pretty clear. We love our starter. And it gives the young players behind him a chance to mature and develop."

I haven't heard Brees' reaction to the pick yet, but I think it's a safe bet the Saints also just earned the added bonus of adding a little fuel to his fire.

Brees said last month on Dan Patrick's radio show that it would be the Saints' "prerogative" if they wanted to draft a QB, and it wouldn't change his mindset or preparation one bit.

"You know, I've been in those situations before," Brees said of the San Diego Chargers' drafting Philip Rivers in 2004, incorrectly assuming that they needed an upgrade over Brees while he was still struggling early in his career. "If the idea is to prepare for the future, then great. If the idea is to bring somebody in to compete with me, then that's fine, too. ...

"No one's gonna push me harder than I'm gonna push myself. So for that reason, I don't concern myself with any of that."

As for whether or not the Saints chose the right quarterback, I have no complaints.

My QB research wasn't nearly as exhaustive as the Saints', but Grayson was certainly on my radar because of the way ESPN analyst Jon Gruden has been gushing over him in recent weeks.

When Gruden was asked on a recent conference call to identify any players in this year's draft class who might slip through the cracks like Russell Wilson did, he immediately named Grayson. And Grayson comes from a pro-style background in college, where he threw for 7,702 yards, 55 touchdowns and 18 interceptions over the past two years.

Gruden and ESPN analyst Trent Dilfer have both suggested that Grayson is a great fit with Payton and the Saints' system.

Grayson also called it a "dream come true" to land in a place where he can watch and learn under a future Hall of Famer.

"I'm sure he'll get annoyed with me because I'll be asking him questions like crazy," Grayson said of Brees.

The Saints solidified their decision on Grayson just last week when they flew into Fort Collins, Colorado, for a private workout. Grayson said he actually considered it one of his worst workouts and was "extremely disappointed," which caused him to text Saints quarterbacks coach Mike Neu.

When Payton was told what Grayson said, he responded, "It was good. It was really good. ... That's good news."

The Saints also followed up their two first-round draft picks by adding Washington pass-rusher Hau'oli Kikaha in the second round on Friday -- filling their greatest remaining need with a guy who led the nation with 19 sacks last year. In Round 3, they added Florida State cornerback P.J. Williams, who was named the defensive MVP when the Seminoles won the 2014 BCS National Championship.

But the Saints' most fascinating pick in this entire draft haul will probably be the guy who won't even see the field for at least two years.