The New Orleans Saints are preparing for the 2026 NFL Draft to build their roster around franchise quarterback Tyler Shough. After a disappointing 2025 season, they aim to address offensive and defensive needs.
The New Orleans Saints may have found their franchise quarterback in the 2025 Draft. As the 2026 NFL Draft begins, the Saints will need to start building the rest of the roster around him.
Second-round pick Tyler Shough took over the starting job halfway through the season last year after the Saints' 1-7 start to the season. He showed flashes of promise in his nine starts, with consistent improvement especially notable over the final weeks of the season. New Orleans finished the year 6-11, with a 5-4 record in Shough starts that included four wins in the last five weeks.
In this year's draft, head coach Kellen Moore and general manager Mickey Loomis will put their heads together to find prospects that will complement Shough and reinforce the roster's weak points. While the skill positions on offense are partially set, there is still work to be done at one particular offensive position as well as plenty of outstanding defensive needs.
New Orleans has already made moves in free agency to address its offensive line, tight end and long-term future at running back as Alvin Kamara enters his age-31 season. The Saints still have more work to do in the draft to return back to NFC South contention after finishing in last place in 2025.
Here's a closer look at the Saints' draft picks, team needs and potential fits in USA TODAY Sports' Ayrton Ostly's seven-round mock draft:
Q&A
What are the New Orleans Saints' draft picks for 2026?
The full list of the Saints' round-by-round selections for the 2026 NFL Draft has not been detailed yet.
Who is the Saints' starting quarterback after the 2025 Draft?
Tyler Shough took over as the starting quarterback for the Saints halfway through the 2025 season.
What position needs the most attention for the Saints in the 2026 Draft?
The Saints need to focus on reinforcing their offensive line and addressing several defensive needs.
How did the Saints perform in the 2025 NFL season?
The Saints finished the 2025 season with a 6-11 record, including a 5-4 record in games started by Tyler Shough.
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This section will be updated after the Saints make their first selection.
Saints 2026 NFL Draft needs
Wide receiver
Chris Olave had the best season of his career in 2025 as he managed to stay healthy for the full season and finished with second-team All-Pro recognition. But with Rashid Shaheed traded to the Seahawks before last year's trade deadline – then re-signed – New Orleans is missing a true No. 2 wideout to pair with Olave.
As owners of the No. 8 overall pick in the draft, the Saints are in a prime position to add premium receiver help in the first round if they so choose. If they believe Shough is their quarterback of the future, getting him a strong cast of pas-catching weapons to throw to should be a priority.
Edge rusher
Will Cameron Jordan be back for his 16th season in New Orleans after a 10.5-sack outing last year? That's unclear entering the week of the draft, as the eight-time Pro Bowl edge rusher is still a free agent.
Perhaps the Saints are waiting to see if they can use the draft to add a younger talented edge rusher to slot into their defensive front. Even with Jordan and Chase Young each tallying double-digit sacks, New Orleans finished in the bottom 10 in the NFL in pass-rush win rate, per ESPN. For the Saints to continue their march to return to contention, adding younger talent gives them a bigger potential window and more spending flexibility in future years.
Cornerback
While Kool-Aid McKinstry really came into his own as a pro cornerback last season – his 17 passes defensed were tied for sixth in the NFL – his starting partner, Alontae Taylor, left for Tennessee in free agency. The Saints didn't address the new vacancy at cornerback in free agency, so they're expected to do so in the draft.
LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane is among the players most frequently mocked to the Saints by draft experts. Adding the best cornerback in this year's class would be a nice way to bolster the secondary at the start of the draft.
Saints 2026 NFL mock draft
Here's what the Saints could do come draft night, per Ayrton Ostly's seven-round mock draft:
