The New Orleans Saints are preparing for Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft with needs on defense, including edge rusher and defensive back. They hold the 42nd and 73rd overall picks and are eyeing several defensive prospects.
Rounds 2 and 3 make up the second day of the 2026 NFL Draft on Friday evening. With the eighth overall choice in the first round, the New Orleans Saints selected wide receiver Jordyn Tyson from the Arizona State Sun Devils. Tyson fills a big need for the team on offense. The Saints now enter Day 2 with glaring needs at edge rusher, defensive back along with defensive tackle, off-ball linebacker, and guard.
New Orleans has two choices in Day 2 barring trades, with one in the second round (42nd overall) and one in the third round (73rd). They'll also have five scheduled picks through rounds 4-6 on Saturday. Here are some of the top names to watch on defense for the Saints through rounds 2 and 3 on Friday.
Many, including me, thought that the Saints would address edge rusher in the first round and pick from a deeper wideout class on the second day. There are still some talents on the board at this position, but they could come off the board early in the second round. Howell, Young, and Parker were all looked at as potential late first round picks. Thomas and Jacas could provide immediate value, while Moore, Dennis-Sutton, and Kamara have some abilities that should allow them to be contributors.
New Orleans needs a complement to Chase Young on the edge. Re-signing the legendary is a possibility, but not a given. has shown that he can produce, but not as a consistent starter. Unless the Saints have a back-room deal ready with Jordan, this is a glaring need that they'd be wise to take care of in the second round.
The Saints need to address edge rusher, defensive back, defensive tackle, off-ball linebacker, and guard.
Top edge rusher prospects include Cashius Howell, Zion Young, R Mason Thomas, and T.J. Parker.
The Saints have the 42nd overall pick in the second round and the 73rd overall pick in the third round.
The Saints selected wide receiver Jordyn Tyson from Arizona State with the eighth overall pick.
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Like at wide receiver, corner is a deep position with plenty of value into the second day. Stukes, Hood, and Terrell were first round possibilities. McCoy would have been a potential top-15 pick if not for a knee injury. Ponds, Scott, Muhammad, and Lee have been projected as strong second round possibilities all along. Expect a run on corners in the second round, but a few of these talents could still be avaliable well into the third round or even into Day 3.
New Orleans has a need here with the free agent departure of Alontae Taylor. Some thought it could be addressed in the first round, but waiting left several very good names on the board. Remember that the Saints got starting cornerback Quincy Riley in the fourth round last year. Still, it seems a strong likelihood that New Orleans grabs a corner with either their second or third round choice.
New Orleans has a decent rotation up front defensively. What they don't have is a skilled wide bodied nose tackle in the middle to clog running lanes. The above names have the ability to do just that. Miller, Hunter, and McDonald were all named as potential first round surprises. Orange is a late riser up the boards who could here his name called tonight. Konga, Barrett, Corleone, and Keenan could last into the middle of Day 3.
It isn't a flashy position, but one that is an underrated need for the Saints. A big-bodied run-stopper was one of the things glaringly lacking on the New Orleans defense in 2025. Don't be shocked if the Saints look to fill it with a second or third round pick.
Off-ball linebacker has been a little devalued in recent years, but all the top NFL defenses have a standout one. The Saints lost an elite linebacker in Demario Davis this offseason. Bringing Kaden Elliss back to the team was a smart move, but the Saints may look to add more to this position.
Allen was a potential first-round pick. Rodriguez, Trotter, and Hill could come off the board quickly tonight. Louis and Perkins could last longer, but are also productive sideline-to-sideline defenders. This position depends heavily on scheme-fit, but the Saints could grab one of these linebackers if they see immediate value for Brandon Staley's system.
After losing Alontae Taylor, some felt that the Saints should draft Ohio State's Caleb Downs, who fell to number 11 with the Dallas Cowboys. New Orleans also showed some pre-draft interest in Wheatley, Singleton, and Kilgore. Taafe, along with cornerback Malik Muhammad, was coached at Texas by Saints defensive assistant Terry Joseph.
Safety is not a deep position in this year's draft, but there are players left who could be a good fit for a particular scheme. The Saints have three solid safeties in Justin Reid, Julian Blackmon, and Jonas Sanker. If New Orleans sees a cover safety who can give them system versatility, however, then they could go here over corner to fill Taylor's spot on the roster.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Potential defensive targets for Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft