There’s a renewed hope for the New Orleans Saints after a strong finish to the 2025 season. It appears they may have their guy at quarterback in Tyler Shough. They’ve also added Travis Etienne to a backfield that still has Alvin Kamara. Now, it’s about adding pieces elsewhere to keep their upward trajectory.
New Orleans has the No. 8 overall pick and eight in total in 2026. Let’s see how they can best use those picks to climb their way back atop the NFC South. We’ve conducted a Saints seven-round mock draft using our Mock Draft Machine.
Saints 7-Round NFL Mock Draft
Round 1 (No. 8 overall): Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State
As mentioned in the intro, Shough’s meteoric rise late in the season has completely shifted the outlook for Saints fans—and potentially the trajectory of the franchise. Now it’s about putting him in the best position to succeed with more weapons around him. Carnell Tate is a versatile, technically sound receiver who just knows how to get open in short-to-intermediate windows. He has that rare ability to pluck the ball out of the air from any angle.
Round 2 (No. 42 overall): Chris Johnson, CB, San Diego State
Chris Johnson had back-to-back strong seasons with the Aztecs and will be just 21 years old when the NFL season starts. Johnson is scheme-versatile and a difference-maker on the back end—he has five interceptions, four forced fumbles, and two touchdowns over his last two collegiate seasons. Johnson is still ascending as a prospect, leaving plenty of room for growth into being a potential CB1 for New Orleans very soon.
Round 3 (No. 73 overall): Dani Dennis-Sutton, EDGE, Penn State
Penn State produces plenty of athletic freaks, and you can add Dani Dennis-Sutton to that group. Dennis-Sutton ran a 4.63 40-yard dash with a 39.5-inch vertical and a 10-foot-11 broad jump at the NFL Combine. He also had a very strong 6.90s 3 cone drill. Some team is going to fall in love with the traits on day two, and that could very well be the Saints.
Round 4 (No. 132 overall): Zane Durant, IDL, Penn State
Let’s add another Nittany Lion here in Zane Durant. Durant’s first step, short-area quickness, and pass-rush impact are all exciting for this 3-tech. He’s probably just seeing the field mostly on passing downs early on in his career, as his size likely prevents him from being a solid run defender in the NFL. Still, he can thrive and be a disruptive player on games and stunts.
Round 4 (No. 136 overall): Tyreak Sapp, EDGE, Florida
Tyreak Sapp gives the Saints another player to add to their defensive line rotation. Some see him living on the EDGE full-time, while others see him more as a 3-tech at the NFL level. I like him more in condensed areas, where his strength and power are showcased best. We’re spending these middle-round picks in similar areas to make the Saints’ front more formidable.
Round 5 (No. 150 overall): Le'Veon Moss, RB, Texas A&M
While it’s not an immediate need, I wouldn’t be surprised if New Orleans spends a day-three pick on a running back. Only Etienne and Devin Neal are under contract beyond 2026, and it feels like this truly will be the last year of the Kamara era. Le’Veon Moss shows good acceleration with the ability to run through contact—although he needs to be more consistent in doing the latter. The big knock on him is his injury history. Can he stay healthy enough to make an impact? This is a high-risk, high-reward type of pick here in the fifth round.
Round 5 (No. 172 overall): Tyren Montgomery, WR, John Carroll
I was quite impressed with Tyren Montgomery at the Panini Senior Bowl. He’s 5-foot-11.5 and 190 pounds. He made play after play all week long against Power 4 defenders. He’s a bit of an older prospect, but I think he’ll find his way into rotational snaps as a rookie and can be a WR3 or WR4 before the end of his rookie contract for New Orleans.
Round 6 (No. 190 overall): Charles Demmings, CB, Stephen F. Austin
Charles Demmings wowed at the NFL Combine with a 4.41 40-yard dash, a 42-inch vertical, and an 11-foot-0 broad jump. Demmings looks to be a solid man coverage corner who can create turnovers. However, he didn’t look as good in zone coverage and barely got involved in the run game at Stephen F. Austin. He’s another developmental prospect with immediate special teams upside.
