u/Firefawkes17

Intro

Hello Hello! Back again with another post about the Saints. Last year’s draft was contentious, along with the wave 1 and wave 2 free agency periods, coaching carousel and overall uncertainty heading into the 2025-2026 season with the last ties to the Sean Payton era being severed. This off season is different with the Saints having cap space, a better pick in a better class and cautious optimism for what feels like the first time in forever. This year I’m co-writing with the draft wizard /u/cicero912 because I don’t know the ins and outs of the draft. He runs our mocks on Reddit and discord to steal value and help sanity check me.

My overall thought for this class is this is a stepping stone to becoming a real team following years of ennui, cap hell and just not being good enough. Last year was the first time I’d walked into the office on a Monday with anything resembling optimism since 2021. The Saints are a young team, with an old, young QB, a coach heading into year two and a lot of fresh faces as the rebuild continues. My inner child says we’re hitting on every pick and we can take back the crown of the NFC South since no one seems to want to win our division convincingly. The traumatized adult yells back we hit on 2 of our higher round picks and one of our later round guys develop in the next two years but voodoo decimates the rest of this class. Realistically, I see this class panning out like the 2017 Bills class or the 2023 Patriots class where several starters or key roles player help fill out the roster for a half decade roster for years with Jordan Tyson H

Season Recap

There’s a lot to be said about the Saints’ 2025-2026 season, but it boils down to a tale of two halves. The first half was miserable thanks to a tough schedule, uneven roster play, and an offense that looked stuck in neutral. The second half became much more respectable once Kellen Moore settled in and controversial draft pick Tyler Shough found his footing.

Spencer Rattler, the leader of the first half, was not the sole reason the Saints looked like they were in contention for pick 1.1, but he sure didn’t help. The season started with a close but frustrating loss to the Cardinals, where the Saints were simply outplayed by a more experienced team and a more experienced QB outplayed Rattler. Three predictable losses followed to the 49ers, Seahawks, and Bills before Rattler finally got his first win against the Giants.

Then the bottom fell out. Drake Maye continued his breakout and made the game feel like the “we have ___ at home” meme, especially with Maye finishing second in MVP voting while Rattler looked limited in comparison. Then the Bears game was Rattler’s game as a pro. Really as a pro so far. Caleb looked like the #1 overall pick, and Rattler looked like a 5th rounder. Then the Bucs game happened. Two backbreaking turnovers in a winnable game led to Rattler getting benched in the third quarter for Shough. Rattler’s worst game.

Shough did not save that game, nor did he look great in his first start against the Super Bowl-contending Rams, who walked the Saints into a sterile execution. But the important part was that Shough did not look horrible. Given the opponent and situation, that mattered.

Then the seasons changed from winter to spring, where “we’re getting Shough’d tonight,” the fans could sing. Yes, his first win came against the enigmatic Panthers (aka Schrodinger’s cats), but a win is a win during a rebuild. The Saints lost their next two games, but the second half of the Dolphins game especially felt less like a team sawing off its foot and more like stepping on a rake, a fixable mistake.

Then Shough ripped off four straight wins and showed he could play. The roster vision started to make sense, Kellen Moore’s offense had proof of concept, and Chris Olave earned his 2nd Team All-Pro nod by running wild. To be clear, Shough was not perfect. He kept games closer than they needed to be, but the wins against the Bucs, Panthers, and Titans were wins because of him explicitly. Even the second loss to the Falcons, painful as getting swept by the dirty birds is, was an improvement from his earlier starts.

It is also worth remembering what Shough was working with. After Olave and Juwan Johnson, the pass-catching depth was laughable. The offensive line was not playing to its pedigree because of injuries, and the running game was operating off cashed lottery tickets.

The biggest takeaway from the season is simple: the Saints did not have to draft a quarterback in 2026. The question developed from, “Do we have anyone who can play quarterback?” to “What is Shough’s ceiling, and what is his average?” To answer that, the Saints need to put the pieces around him and find out.

Off Season

Heading into the start of free agency, there were several needs the team had the potential to address with the goal of establishing a floor around Shough, Staley and Moore. The constraint however is this had to be done without re-entering the cap hell after finally getting out.

List of Needs

• Edge (priority) - If the draft board falls where we can get one of the top guys then we absolutely should go for it. If not, please don’t reach Mickey. You do not have The Fantasia hat.
• IOL - A mid round draft or wave 2 free agency target but it is quieter need
• DB - Taylor is likely gone this off-season and there’s a need for a difference maker on that side of the ball.
  • STAR / Slot / S - Caleb Downs being available through draft board magic could land Staley his cajun flavored Derwin James
  • CB - If there’s a trade down, we take one of the outside corners and move one of the younger guys to slot
• Offensive weapon - Olave + Juwan is 2/3rds of the way there and Vele is a great safety blanket but investing in a third weapon is necessary this off season or next for depth:
  • RB - Loomis has not drafted RBs high but the pivot could happen this off-season depending on the evals on Neal, Miller and Kamara’s health
  • WR - This is the easiest fit but would have to be taken in the 1st or 2nd round to guarantee early season impact

Major Additions and Losses in Free Agency

Additions

Name	Position	Notes
Travis Etienne	Running back	This was a genuine surprise when the news broke. However the need at the position is dire with Alvin getting banged up the past 2 seasons and the Kendre Miller picks not working out
David Edwards	Guard	Stabilizes the IOL after issues with Andrus Peat was traded to the Chargers and continued instability with Erik McCoy’s injuries lately
Kaden Elliss	Linebacker	Demario Davis returned to NY so the Saints brought back their guy.
Dillon Radunz	Guard	Returning player that played in relief of the Andrus Peat experiment failing
Noah Fant	Tight End	Signing a solid starter to establish a blocking and pass catching floor at TE2. The league is shifting to multiple TEs after the Bears and Rams abused the 2 and 3 TE personnel packages last year
Ryan Wright	Punter	Punting literally cost the Saints a game last year. After multiple experiments the front office decided to find an established veteran. Kai Kroger Traded to Texans
Tyre Wilson	Edge	The Saints made a late round swap for the former first round pick. He’s been healthy as a pro but has been disappointing to put it lightly. Like Chase Young, maybe a change of scenery can benefit his career

Losses

Name	Position	Notes
Cameron Jordan	Defensive End	I hope he’s back and finishes his career as a Saint. At his age, chasing a ring makes sense but it would be hard to watch 94 not wearing black and gold after leading our defense for 14 years
Demario Davis	Linebacker	I’m still not sure why he left but Demario’s still got it as a Top 10 linebacker. Sad to see him go as the emotional leader of the locker room
Alontae Taylor	Corner / Slot	Signed with the Titans for a considerable amount of money at $20 million per year. This team is in a transition phase with Staley emphasizing zone rather than man play. He has the traits to do well in his new home like Vaccarro did almost a decade prior
Foster Moreau	Tight End	Do it all tight end that came over with Derek Carr when he signed in NOLA. He survived cancer, came back to play good football in the Bayou. Recovered from an ACL tear and came back to play good football in the Bayou. He’s now in Houston where I hope he has better health

Post Free Agency Needs

• Edge (priority)
  • The return of Cameron Jordan remains uncertain and the depth behind Chase Young and Carl Granderson is suspect. A high end pass rusher would do wonders for Staley’s 2nd year
• STAR / Slot / S - Caleb Downs being available through draft board magic could land Staley his cajun flavored Derwin James
• CB - If there’s a trade down, we take one of the outside corners and move one of the younger guys to slot
• WR - This is the easiest fit but would have to be taken in the 1st or 2nd round to guarantee early season impact

The Draft

Pre Draft, this class was a deep class defensively and especially for interior trenches on both sides of the ball. In contrast, the offensive tackle classes were underwhelming compared to recent years. It was also obvious this was a 1 QB class with the Fernando Mendoza pick being known since January. Aside from the obvious and Roger Goodell getting booed, I don’t believe anyone knew what was going to happen at the top of the draft. Every year, I go out to see the live reactions to the draft. I was not disappointed seeing the reactions to David Bailey going off the board at 2. Then other bombs dropped with Jeremiah Love at 3 and Carnell Tate at 4 and a trade by the Chiefs for Mansoor Delane. Shockingly, with Downs and Bain on the board for the 8th pick, I was certain we were going defense. Yet something else happened…

1.08 – Jordyn Tyson – WR – Arizona State

To be honest, I’m not one for taking injury risks in the draft and did not consider Tyson as a target for the Saints. Some of the injury history is more freak accident than he’s made of glass but I question if he will be healthy in the NFL. Following that same logic, I would not have drafted Tyler Shough last year because of concerns of him getting hurt (amongst other criticisms I had on his tape). Then I remember Loomis is a risk taker. At worst, his plan is coherent, but it doesn’t work initially so he doubles down before finally correcting. At his best, he made franchise changing swings 2006 offseason and 2017 offseason where he made questionable choices that resulted in half decade runs of success. The hope is Loomis is in year 2 of being at his best.

Actually talking about Jordyn Tyson, what can’t he do? Seriously, he can line up at X, Y and Z spots, has the prototypical size and speed of a do it all receiver and without health issues would be considered the best WR in this class. From there, the strategy is that he and Olave can both line up anywhere giving Kellen Moore a modular offense where he can run the same play with the same bodies but in different spots to mess with defenses. From now on, Moore has 2 receivers that can always be on the field with different personal grouping ranging from 5 WRS, to 21 or 12 personnel where defenses must constantly respect that Olave and Tyson can do anything, including block. Also Kamara, ETN and Hill can bring further personnel versatility. Imagine a defensive coordinator trying to prepare for exactly what Moore is planning with the players on the field. All because of the baseline these two establish if Tyson is just decent. The ceiling is truly terrifying with Shough being able to put the ball anywhere and having the confidence to even try some throws he did with Olave last year. Other than health, this is a great pick. Other than health.

2.42 - Christen Miller - DT - Georgia

I loved this pick as a Parcells guy. If you build the trenches, everything else takes care of itself on both offense and defense since you’re giving your team a sturdy floor. Here, having another nose tackle that at worst anchors the line is a great pick. Especially for Brandon Staley after Tom Telesco betrayed him, not giving him the tools for his defensive line to stop the run multiple years in a row. Even though the run defense was above average, there’s a difference between technically sound and disruptive physically.

Miller has the size to play anywhere from nose to 3 tech which will fit what the Saints are specifically trying to build. Plus Miller is a Georgia player where their later round players do eventually develop if they don't come out the gates right away as an impact player. The other weird thing about Miller falling to the Saints is the NFL sometimes loves swinging for the fences in the DT room when solid to great makes up the backbone of a reliable defense. The goal with this pick is to play as a depth piece with growth into a starting role on all three downs that can line up anywhere.

3.73 – Oscar Delp – TE – Georgia

Mom, can we have Brock Bowers? We have Brock Bowers at home, sweetie.

Terrible joke aside, Oscar brings some Delp to a tight end room that looked like it belonged on an episode of MASH last season. Foster Moreau and Taysom Hill were both out last season which limited the personnel that Moore could put on the field. New Orleans Football and Ross Jackson of Louisiana Sports notes that Moore used 11 personnel more than he’s ever had this past season. In some respects, it’s a good thing that Moore adjusted to what he had available and eventually did something that worked with the offense but it’s hard to establish an identity when you don’t have your full range of options to work your profession effectively.

The combination of drafting Delp as a do it all tight end prospect with an immense ceiling as a pass catcher and route runner and Noah Fant as the established vet looks to give Moore his full arsenal again. If he’s a blocking tight end with sneakily quality hands, this is a successful pick. If Delp is anything more than a Will Dissly type, this could be one steal of this class. It sucks he’s the Georgia TE after Brock Bowers but we’ll definitely take advantage of him being available in round three.

4.132 – Jeremiah Wright – G – Auburn

I like this as a process pick and Loomis doing what he’s done for years, draft and develop trench players in a farm style system. Like the Nick Saldiveri pick recently, Wright does not have to contribute right away as he acclimates to the NFL game but fits the type of guard Loomis has historically drafted to varying degrees of success, the biggest, the largest. The floor with this pick is a swing guard who can help the Saints survive an injury or spot start. If there’s more that comes from this pick then we’ve finally hit on a non-first round guard for the first time in forever.

Talking about Jeremiah Wright himself, he’s built like a deep freezer and played in the SEC where size and strength matter more than finesse. The thing about Wright though is he wasn’t just big at Auburn. He’s not fast like a Cole Strange or Quinten Nelson but he’s not an uncoordinated bulldozer. He’s not as fast as he wants to be but he attempts to hit pancake people, drive people into the dirt and looks for work once he’s done his initial assignment. I’m not sure he develops past depth in the NFL where speed mismatches and stunts become more of an issue for his type. Realistically, he becomes a quality starter in a few years.

4.136 – Bryce Lance – WR – North Dakota State

This pick along with the Jordan Tyson pick was a long overdue acknowledgement of the state of the WR room for the Saints, it needed immediate attention. Olave is legitimately good as an All- Pro 2nd Team, Vele is a nice role player, then there’s a nose dive in quality to the practice squad level with what the Saints have had to field over the years. Even accounting for attrition, you can’t expect your quarterback to succeed throwing to late round guys, UDFAs and guys scratching and clawing to make a roster that don’t eventually break out. Lance may not work out, and that’s more than ok. Not investing and taking risks is not since if Tom Brady can’t make a bad WR room work consistently, asking your developing quarterback to do so is asking for problems.

The thing Bryce brings is athletic pop that could develop into something. From a process standpoint you have to have speed on the field the defense respects. Coming from FCS to the NFL is going to be a rough transition in terms of level of competition. I don’t foresee him being more than a role player in the offense early on. Specifically, I see him filling the roles of running off coverage, taking designated touches and being a motion guy to stress defenses. If he can do that well, he could take the WR3 spot but he’s gotta play with grown men which cools my optimism.

5.172 – Lorenzo Styles Jr. – S – Ohio State

With the league transitioning to nickel, having safety depth has a newfound importance. The trend lately has been a return to physicality. Specifically, as much as the league has shifted to nickel personnel, lateral quickness and zone IQ, physicality has returned with a vengeance. The poster child is how Nick Emmanwori became the piece that completed the Seahawks defense last year. Outside of the best example of the type, teams have valued having a variety of DBs that get mixed and matched to their opponents as the pendulum swings to 12 and 13 personnel in the league.

To be perfectly clear, I’m not saying Styles is that caliber of player or athlete, that Emmanwori is. What Emmanwori did as a rookie is special. What I am saying is teams have had success with a PJ Williams (floor) or Mike Edwards (growth arc) type that's able to do a utility job as the physical safety that gets rotated in. With the Saints DBs getting smaller yet physicality being an emphasized requirement versus certain teams the pick makes sense. At worst, Styles comes in as a “go jack that guy” matchup style body. Late round DB picks are trickier these days because it’s possible to steal value when the league meta did not value safeties and corners but things are different these days.

6.190 – Barion Brown – WR – LSU

Barion Brown is another stab at addressing the wide receiver room. Thank you Loomis for doing this. I imagine Brown would fill more of the returner and go run fast roles as the 5th WR or if there’s a match on film the coaches want to exploit more than anything. If he develops into a full-fledged WR, great! If he’s a decent returner, then a good try to replace what Shaheed became for the Saints and later the Seahawks as an All-Pro return man. It’s unrealistic to expect someone to come in and warp games like Shaheed has done but finding a consistent return threat can help steal games. And honestly, a reliable return man is an under rated asset because when you don’t have one, you feel it like the Rams did last year.

7.219 – TJ Hall – CB – Iowa

Our last pick was TJ Hall. The expectation with 7th round picks is to judge them in a few years, not the prospect you drafted. In Hall’s case, he’s coming into a secondary that’s already packed with bodies that are established or are fighting to get onto the field as a starter on the defense. There’s a chance he becomes a core special teamer or nickel corner as the secondary settles out this season. Sanker and Riley are already earmarked for roles after getting onto the field last year and settled into being pros. It’s always good to add competition to a position group but Hall has a rough hand to making it.

UDFAs

CJ Donaldson - RB - Ohio State

Cody Hardy - TE - NC State

Alan Herron - OL - Maryland

Michael Heldman - DE - Central Michigan

Dashawn Jones - CB - Alabama

Jeremiah McClendon - CB - Southern Illinois

Keeshawn Silver - NT - USC

Mason Shipley - K - Texas

Jay'Viar Suggs - DT - Wisconsin

Alex Wollschlaeger - OT - Kentucky

Zxavian Harris - DT - Ole Miss → Undrafted because of injuries and off field arrests from DUI and domestic violence charged. If he’s turned it around, he could make an impact on a team in a rebuild desperate to steal value.