Saints named alongside Cowboys for potential bold draft trade

TL;DR

The New Orleans Saints, picking at No. 8 in the 2026 NFL Draft, are considered potential candidates for a bold trade-up, possibly targeting players like Jeremiyah Love or Arvell Reese. The team aims to strengthen key positions, particularly wide receiver and edge rusher.

Saints named alongside Cowboys for potential bold draft trade originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The New Orleans Saints pick at No. 8 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft, and look to be a team on the rise thanks to the emergence of Tyler Shough as a potential franchise quarterback.

Coming into the draft, the Saints likely have their eyes on a few different positions: wide receiver and edge rusher being the two most likely by a wide margin. If they stick and pick at No. 8, a solid player should make it to them at either position.

But, Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer named the Saints, alongside the Dallas Cowboys, as a team that could swing a bold trade-up in the draft for a player, with Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love or Ohio State's Arvell Reese two options to keep in mind.

Saints linked to bold draft night trade-up

"So who could trade up to select one of those two? The Saints, who pick eighth, have shown a willingness to get aggressive in the past and have a pass-rush need. There's also Dallas," Breer writes.

If the Saints end up moving up in the draft, it likely won't be for Love. They signed Travis Etienne Jr. this offseason, making wide receiver and edge rusher the top needs in New Orleans.

But, if the Saints could swing a trade-up for a high-upside edge rusher like Reese, there could be a bit more interest in such an aggressive move than they might normally show.

David Bailey seems likely to go off the board before the Saints pick, so Reese, the other top-tier edge rusher, could be a great pickup if New Orleans could pull off a trade-up.

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While Breer pointed out the Reese and Love trade-up potential, the Saints could also look to try to jump the Cleveland Browns, a WR-needy team, to take Carnell Tate in the draft.

Cleveland might take Tate with the No. 6 pick, as could the New York Giants at No. 5 or the Tennessee Titans at No. 4.

But, if either of those teams is willing to pass on Tate in a trade-down with the Saints, New Orleans might jump at the chance to get Shough a new number two WR.

This draft insight from Breer is interesting, as the Saints are seemingly one of the few teams potentially interested in a trade-up in the draft. And with a lot of teams open to moving down, the Saints might have a good chance to jump up the board this year.