Saints’ 2026 NFL Mock Draft roundup post-Super Bowl as draft season ramps up

The New Orleans Saints are one team that could take a big leap forward in 2026. New Orleans finished the 2025 regular season at 6-11, capping Kellen Moore’s first season as head coach. Now the Saints are finally close to getting their salary cap back to a healthy state. That could mean a wave of new additions this offseason.

The Saints hold the eighth overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. New Orleans will have the opportunity to add a blue-chip player, likely at a big position of need.

But the Saints have so many needs on both offense and defense. So which direction will they go in the first round this year?

Below we will explore which players analysts are mocking to the Saints to start the 2026 offseason.

WR Makai Lemon, USC

Tim Crean, ClutchPoints

Lemon is one of the best wide receiver prospects in the 2026 draft class.

The USC wide receiver is often compared to Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, and for good reason. Not only did both receivers go to USC, but they are also both “undersized” slot receivers who lack top-end speed.

St. Brown has already proven that receivers don’t need elite speed or a huge body to make plays in the NFL.

The Saints could gain some much-needed consistency on offense by adding a chain-mover like Lemon.

Surprisingly, many other mock drafts have Lemon going off the board much later in the first round. It will be interesting to see if that theory changes later in the offseason.

RB Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame

Mike Renner, CBS Sports; Ryan Wilson, CBS Sports; Matthew Freedman, Matthew Berry’s Fantasy Life

Love has been a popular pick to the Chiefs with the ninth overall pick over the past few months. But that attitude seems to be shifting, at least for a few national analysts.

Veteran Alvin Kamara is in the final year of his current contract with the Saints. New Orleans seemingly has not succession plan in place, as both Kendre Miller and Devin Neal have no impressed early in their careers.

Meanwhile, Love looks like the real deal as a modern NFL running back.

NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein compared him to none other than Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs. That should show how high scouts are on Love.

Love boasts blazing speed, the ability to handle a heavy workload, and upside as a pass catcher.

This pick would be huge for the Saints’ offense in 2026.

WR Carnell Tate, Ohio State

Dan Parr, NFL.com

Wide receiver is clearly a popular position for the Saints among draft analysts.

In this case, the Saints would pair Tate with another Ohio State receiver in Chris Olave. In fact, NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein compared Tate to Olave in his scouting report.

Tate has impressive size at six-foot-three, 195 pounds. His rare combination of speed, agility, and strength could help him succeed in multiple roles as a wide receiver in the modern NFL.

While Tate has great length, he is still pretty light at 195 pounds. That has some scouts worried he may need to bulk up to fend off press coverage at the next level.

Tate also missed three games in 2025 because of a calf strain. Hopefully his medical evaluation at the NFL Scouting Combine reveals that it is no big deal.

WR Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State

Field Yates, ESPN

New Orleans has also been paired with Tyson as their pick for a new receiver in the first round.

Tyson had a letdown of a 2025 season after finishing the 2024 season on a heater.

Yates argued that Tyson’s impressive play from 2024 shows that he can be an electric playmaker in the NFL.

“At 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, Tyson is electric with the ball in his hands,” Yates wrote. “He totaled 29 catches, 444 yards and three touchdowns in the final three games he played in 2024 before being knocked out for the season with an injury. His 2025 season was limited by uneven QB play and injuries, but he can be schemed up for as many touches as possible in New Orleans.”

The Saints need plenty of help on the offensive side of the ball. That makes it hard for me to argue against any of the receivers currently being mocked to them.

It will be fascinating to see if a consensus forms on which receiver could be the favorite in New Orleans over the next few months.

CB Mansoor Delane, LSU

Danny Kelly, The Ringer

Of course, the Saints are not required to go offense with their first-round pick.

New Orleans has a few pressing needs on the defensive side of the ball too, including a big one at cornerback.

The Saints are set to lose Alontae Taylor to free agency, which leaves them with Kool-Aid McKinstry as their top corner.

Saints fans will be familiar with Delane after his impressive collegiate career at LSU. He logged 18 passes defensed and six interceptions over his last two collegiate seasons.

He projects as an immediate starter who has legitimate lockdown potential. I could certainly see the Saints being tempted to add a player of his caliber.

EDGE Cashius Howell, Texas A&M

Gordon McGuinness, PFF

I’ll admit, I was surprised to see Howell mocked to a team so high in the first round.

McGuinness argued that the drop off at edge rusher after Howell could make him a tempting selection.

“The Saints could go in several directions here, but Howell makes sense because of the class’ drop-off at edge defender after him,” McGuinness wrote. “He earned a 90.3 PFF overall grade and produced a 19.9% PFF pass-rush win rate in 2025, and he could form a formidable duo with Chase Young in New Orleans.”

McGuinness had Rueben Bain Jr. and David Bailey going off the board in the top five, which made Howell the third edge rusher selected.

Personally, I think Moore will want an offensive player in the first round. But Saints fans should stay open minded as the team has plenty of needs on both sides of the ball.

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