The New Orleans Saints are expected to upgrade their wide receiver position in the 2026 NFL Draft, with USC's Ja'Kobi Lane being a potential later-round target. The team plans to extend Chris Olave but has limited proven options beyond him.
Wide receiver is a position that most expect the New Orleans Saints to upgrade through the 2026 NFL Draft. They may possibly add a couple, with one widely projected to come with an early round choice. One popular pairing with the Saints is USC Trojans wideout Makai Lemon at the eighth overall choice, but Lemon's USC teammate Ja'Kobi Lane is among several talents who will be avaliable a little later in the draft.
New Orleans will sign wide receiver Chris Olave to an extension this offseason. Beyond him, the team only has two relatively unproven players in Devaughn Vele and Ja'Lynn Polk and reaches on several others. A first round pick on a receiver is certainly possible, but Lane is among several talented pass catchers who could be targeted later.
Starring at Red Mountain High School in Arizona, Lane committed to the University of Southern California to kick off his collegiate career. He'd see action in six games as a freshman in 2023, catching 7 balls for 93 yards and a score. Lane was a bigger part of the Trojans attack in 2024. He pulled in 43 receptions, with his 525 yards second on the team. Lane's 12 touchdown catches that year were second in the Big Ten and fifth among all NCAA players.
While Makai Lemon continued to be the featured weapon in the USC offense in 2025, Lane was a strong complement. He had 49 receptions for 745 yards and 4 touchdowns that season to finish second behind Lemon in all three categories while averaging over 15 yards per catch.
▪︎ Needs to improve route precision▪︎ Must hone strength to defeat press▪︎ Hasn't shown the ability to get quick separation▪︎ Will need to show that he can handle an expanded route tree
One of the taller receivers in the draft, Lane presents a potential size advantage for the offense that drafts him. He's projected to be a mid-lower Day 2 choice with the size to go higher but a lack of top-end speed that could cause him to drop a bit. Likely an outside receiver, Lane should immediately be a red-zone threat and has the attributes to develop into a solid number two receiver.
New Orleans will almost certainly add a target to complement Olave. While the Saints could use a big-play threat to stretch the field, this offense also needs another big-bodied intermediate target. It's the latter need that could attract New Orleans to Ja'Kobi Lane towards the back end of the second day or especially if he slips into the fourth round.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: 2026 NFL Draft: USC Trojans wide receiver Ja'Kobi Lane scouting report
Ja'Kobi Lane stands 6 feet 4 inches tall, weighs 200 pounds, and has a 40-yard dash time of 4.47 seconds.
The Saints are projected to draft wide receiver Makai Lemon from USC with their eighth overall choice.
The Saints currently have Chris Olave, Devaughn Vele, and Ja'Lynn Polk, along with several other unproven players.
Ja'Kobi Lane has a vertical jump of 40 inches and a broad jump of 10 feet 9 inches.
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