Saints urged to 'throw picks' at 2 positions in 2026 NFL Draft

Saints urged to 'throw picks' at 2 positions in 2026 NFL Draft originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The New Orleans Saints are in a great spot with the eighth overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Add in their second and third rounders, along with two fourths and a few more picks down the board, and this year's draft should be a good one for New Orleans.

But what will the Saints do with their picks? The Saints have a solid roster, but there are two clear spots the team could go after this NFL Draft: wide receiver and defensive tackle.

ESPN's Ben Solak is urging the Saints to "throw picks" at both of those positions in the NFL Draft. Edge rusher is a need as well, but Solak's focus is on defensive tackle and wide receiver for the Saints in this year's class.

Saints urged to 'throw picks' at DT and WR in 2026 NFL Draft

"Instead, the Saints should pepper the roster with youth as they prepare for aggressive free agent spending in the next few seasons," Solak writes. "The bottom line: Throw picks at receiver and defensive tackle."

Coming into the NFL Draft this year, the Saints have a few needs, with WR and DT being two of the biggest. Solak want's the Saints to throw a lot of capital at those spots in this year's class.

At wide receiver, if Carnell Tate makes it to the eighth pick, he'd be a no-brainer for the Saints. Jordyn Tyson out of Arizona State and Makai Lemon out of USC are other options, though they're not as intriguing as Tate.

More: Carnell Tate is scheduled to visit with Saints among four other top-10 picking teams for 2026 NFL Draft