Each day leading up to the 2026 NFL Draft — April 23-25 — TeamFB7 will break down a different team’s biggest draft need and the best selection to address it. Granted, teams will most often use their first-round pick on the best available player/value and not necessarily always their biggest need, so this isn’t going to compile together into a mock draft in the end. It’s more a breakdown of how each team could best address its most paramount priority if it chooses.
For the first time in a handful of years, New Orleans Saints fans have at least some reason to believe the team is building toward … something.
The more optimistic ones, at least.
We aren’t necessarily ready to believe that 2025 second-round draft pick Tyler Shough is the long-awaited answer at quarterback in the post-Drew Brees Era — the one that has now gone five seasons and counting without a playoff appearance.
But Saints fans can be.
Shough, the No. 40 overall pick last year out of Louisville (via Oregon and Texas Tech and seven total seasons of college football in all), started the final nine games last season as a 26-year-old rookie, led New Orleans to a 5-4 record in that time, completed 67.6% of his passes for 2,384 yards, 10 touchdowns and 6 interceptions (plus 3 rushing TDs) and finished second in the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year voting behind Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan.
Shough led the Saints to four straight wins in December — over the Buccaneers, Panthers, Jets and Titans — to rally a 6-11 finish in coach Kellen Moore’s first season.
Whether he’s the long-term answer at the position, well, it’s far too soon to say that — and we have our doubts. But he does seem like the Saints’ locked-in QB1 for 2026.
And the team has invested in building around him this offseason by bulking up the offensive line and splurging on high-priced running back Travis Etienne in free agency. New Orleans now holds the No. 8 overall pick in the upcoming draft with the chance to potentially add another dynamic offensive playmaker for Moore, who made his name as a fast-rising offensive coordinator for the Cowboys, Chargers and Eagles.
It would be interesting, though, if the projected 2027 quarterback draft class was available — you know, Arch Manning, Darian Mensah, Dante Moore, Julian Sayin, Jayden Maiava, etc. — and not the unusually thin 2026 QB class where expected No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza could potentially be the only passer taken in the first round.
Would the Saints really pass on the chance to snag one of those top QB prospects with sky-high potential and be so committed to Shough in that case?
Maybe we’ll find out next year if New Orleans isn’t in a much different spot.
For now, though, optimism springs anew for Shough to build off his notable finish to last season, for Moore to show his offensive guru-ness and elevate the Saints from bottom 5 in the league in scoring (18.0 points per game last season) and for a draft in which the team has eight picks — including that prime opportunity at No. 8 overall.
Biggest Needs For The New Orleans Saints In 2026 NFL Draft
Let’s start on offense.
Quarterback has been addressed, and as noted, the Saints addressed running back in free agency by investing big in the former Jaguars rusher and Louisiana native Etienne (4-years, $48 million with $28 million guaranteed).
Etienne, with three 1,000-yard rushing seasons in four years in Jacksonville, effectively takes over as the focal point in the backfield whether or not the Saints trade soon-to-be 31-year-old Alvin Kamara, who is posted a career-low 3.6 yards per carry, 471 rushing yards and 1 TD, with 33 receptions for 186 yards and 0 scores in 11 games in 2025.
The Saints are also set on the offensive line with back-to-back first-round picks used on offensive tackles in right tackle Taliese Fuaga and left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr., along with a big investment in former Bills left guard David Edwards this offseason (4 years, $61 million with $45 million guaranteed), a two-time Pro Bowl center and seven-year starter in veteran Erik McCoy and equally entrenched veteran at right guard in Cesar Ruiz (a six-year starter for the team).
At tight end, sixth-year pro Juwan Johnson broke out with a career-best season in 2025 with 77 catches for 889 yards (third-most among NFL TEs) and 3 TDs. Free agent signing Noah Fant is a good backup while longtime Saints fixture Taysom Hill remains out there as a free agent.
Which brings us to wide receiver.
Chris Olave, the No. 11 overall pick in 2022, had another strong season in 2025 with 100 catches for 1,163 yards and 9 TDs, but the Saints traded away promising young talent Rashid Shaheed to the Seahawks last season (for 2026 fourth- and fifth-round picks) and released veteran Brandin Cooks at his request in November. They also haven’t signed any notable wide receiver free agents.
That leaves the rest of the WR depth chart, as currently constructed, as Devaughn Vele (25-293-2 last season), Mason Tipton (11-76-0), Bub Means (9-118-1), Kevin Austin Jr. (13-140-1), Trey Palmer (12-172-1 for the Bucs in 2024; DNP in 2025), Ja’Lynn Polk (12-87-2 for the Patriots in 2024; DNP in 2025), Ronnie Bell (2-23-1), Samori Toure (1-3-0), Elijah Cooks (no stats since 2023 with the Jaguars) and Damien Alford (20-407-5 in the CFL last year).
Incredibly, we didn’t make up any of those names — they’re all real NFL wide receivers! Kind of.
So, that’s one obvious need.
New Orleans Saints’ Biggest Defensive Positions Of Need
How about on defense?
Well, with Cameron Jordan still sitting there as a free agent after 15 seasons and 132 sacks with the Saints (including 10.5 last season at age 36!), edge rusher is a prominent need.
Chase Young (10 sacks in 12 games last season) is still on the roster, but he needs help and Carl Granderson (6 sacks in 17 games) is the only EDGE on the roster who had more than 2.5 sacks in 2025.
The Saints signed former Falcons linebacker Kaden Elliss (380 tackles, 29 tackles for loss, 12 sacks last three seasons) for 3 years and $33 million to pair with veteran starting inside LB Pete Werner and replace Demario Davis (who signed with the Jets).
The secondary could also use some attention in the draft, though.
At cornerback, Kool-Aid McKinstry has developed into a talented playmaker who had 3 INTs, 17 passes defended, 3 tackles for loss and 76 tackles last season, but the Saints lost Alontae Taylor in free agency to the Titans. Quincy Riley started five games as a fourth-round rookie and had an INT and 10 PDs and Jordan Howden played mostly as a rotational reserve.
At safety, Justin Reid is an established veteran and Julian Blackmon is looking to return from a torn labrum that cut his first Saints season short after one game following five seasons as a starter for the Colts. The depth chart is pretty thin otherwise.
So to summarize, we’d rank the Saints’ biggest priority draft needs with regard to first-round considerations as WR, EDGE, CB in that order.
Who Should New Orleans Saints Select At No. 8 In 2026 NFL Draft?
A wide receiver, plain and simple. That depth chart is the worst in the NFL at the moment.
There are still veteran WRs lingering in free agency like Jauan Jennings, Brandon Aiyuk, Tyreek Hill, Stefon Diggs and Keenan Allen, but it’s hard to see Hill, Diggs or Allen choosing the Saints’ situation as their preferred landing spot. And Jennings is clearly asking more than he’s worth while Aiyuk imploded his relationship with the 49ers, which raises red flags.
So the Saints should draft a first-round wide receiver for the second time in five years, and fortunately they’re in a prime position to do so at No. 8.
Ohio State star Carnell Tate may or may not still be on the board, as the WR-needy Browns have been heavily linked to him at No. 6, but USC’s Makai Lemon and Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson will be available at No. 8 and any makes for a high-upside pick.
The 6-foot-2, 192-pound Tate had 51 catches for 875 yards and 9 TDs despite missing a month last season for the Buckeyes, while averaging an impressive 17.2 yards per catch, while playing opposite one of the best WRs in college football in Jeremiah Smith.
Tate’s 4.53-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine didn’t overwhelm anyone, but the game film speaks for itself.
Lemon won the Biletnikoff Award as college football’s top pass-catcher, with 79 catches for 1,156 yards and 11 TDs for the Trojans. At 5-foot-11, 194 pounds, he’s smaller than the others mentioned here, but as we’ve noted before, we liken his play style to that of Amon-Ra St. Brown and Puka Nacua in terms of his relentless physicality and toughness while still pairing that with excellent hands and route running, the ability to make tough contested catches and elite after-the-catch potential.
Lemon did not run the 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine but ran an unofficial 4.46 40 at USC’s Pro Day.
And the 6-foot-2, 203-pound Tyson had 61 catches for 711 yards and 8 TDs in nine games last fall for the Sun Devils after exploding for 75-1,101-10 in 2024. He did not run the 40 at the combine or Arizona State’s Pro Day due to a hamstring injury.
We’d rank the three in that order, although many mock drafts slot Tyson above Lemon.
The Saints hold the following picks in the draft — listed by round (overall pick): 1 (8), 2 (42), 3 (73), 4 (132), 4 (136), 5 (150), 5 (172) and 6 (190).
If one of the top edge rushers — Rueben Bain Jr. or David Bailey — falls to No. 8, New Orleans could certainly prioritize that position and reach for a WR in the second round where there will still be some intriguing high-upside talent. But we don’t expect Bain or Bailey to still be on the board.
Consensus top cornerback prospect Mansoor Delane, from LSU, should also be available in this range.
But the securing one of the top WRs in the draft makes a ton of sense regardless, especially with Moore trying to put his stamp on the offense and elevate that unit from the dredges of the league.
It also can only help Shough take a big step toward his full potential in 2026 — whatever that may be.
