Is Tyler Shough the guy for the New Orleans Saints? He just might be. Conducting a game-winning drive against a division rival in back-to-back weeks will go a long way towards building up his confidence. If the rookie quarterback is the team’s best option under center for these last three games and 2026, it’s going to be important to surround him with more help.
With that in mind, here’s our latest seven-round 2026 mock draft for the Saints:
Round 1, Pick 7: WR Carnell Tate, Ohio State
We’ve got a while to go before learning which receiver stands at the top of the 2026 draft class, but Tate has nearly as many fans as Arizona State star Jordyn Tyson. The 6-foot-3, 195-pound wideout can be a physical compliment to Chris Olave while giving Tyler Shough another reliable target. Tate went 12-of-14 on contested catches this year for the Buckeyes and is 22-of-32 on them in his career. His catch rate and average depth of target have climbed higher year by year. He could be a great weapon in New Orleans.
Round 2, Pick 39: LG Emmanuel Pregnon, Oregon
Pregnon might be the best player on one of the best offensive lines in the country. He hasn’t given up a sack since his freshman year at Wyoming — he was nearly flawless at USC in 2023 and 2024, and at Oregon in 2025, a stretch of more than 1,400 snaps in pass protection. He has experience at both guard spots, predominately the left side, and would be a Day 1 starter for the Saints. Will he actually be available outside the first round? We’ll see.
Round 3, Pick 71: RB Jadarian Price, Notre Dame
His teammate Jeremiyah Love has drawn most of the attention, but Price has been running well for Notre Dame, too. He scored 11 touchdown runs with 24 rushes of 10 or more yards this season. Whether or not this is it for Alvin Kamara, the Saints need more juice in the backfield, and Price has it in spades. Get him in the mix with Devin Neal, Evan Hull, and maybe a free agent like Tyler Allgeier or Jerome Ford and see if the Saints can support Shough with a stronger run game.
Round 4, Pick 130: CB Malik Muhammad, Texas
This pick comes from the Seattle Seahawks‘ trade for Rashid Shaheed, and the Saints could be finding another starting cornerback in the fourth round after landing Quincy Riley in 2025. Muhammad is someone the coaching staff knows well (their defensive pass game coordinator Terry Joseph coached him at Texas for two years before joining the Saints) with the size and skills to compete in the NFL. He’s played well in the zone coverage looks Brandon Staley favors. Alontae Taylor is a free agent in 2026 so there will be room for someone like Muhammad in the secondary behind Riley and Kool-Aid McKinstry.
Round 4, Pick 138: DT Albert Regis, Texas A&M
This is a projected compensatory pick the Saints should get for losing Paulson Adebo this past spring. And they should use the opportunity to get younger at one of their oldest position groups. Regis could be a better fit for Staley’s scheme than youngsters like Khristian Boyd and John Ridgeway III, who have been healthy scratches behind Nathan Shepherd, Jonathan Bullard, and Jonah Williams. The Saints can’t be playing that many guys on the wrong side of 30 and still give up 130 rushing yards per game.
Round 5, Pick 146: EDGE Clev Lubin, Louisville
Lubin had a great year for Louisville after transferring from Coastal Carolina — he racked up 59 quarterback pressures and 7 sacks, with 11.5 tackles for loss in 12 games. He also batted down five passes and forced a fumble. He’s exactly the type of opportunistic playmaker the Saints should add to their rotation with Chase Young, Carl Granderson, and if he re-signs, Cameron Jordan. Chris Rumph II being a free agent opens snaps for a new addition like Lubin.
Round 5, Pick 169: C Logan Jones, Iowa
Here’s the other pick coming in from the Seahawks trade. Jones won the Rimington Award for the nation’s best center and started 39 games for the Hawkeyes over the last four years. The Saints have to invest in a better backup plan for Erik McCoy given how many games he’s missed to injuries. Iowa has been a major pipeline for NFL talent by developing well-coached linemen. It remains to be seen if Jones will really be on the board this late in the draft but he’s definitely worth taking.
Round 6, Pick 185: S Bishop Fitzgerald, USC
Fitzgerald had a good year at USC after transferring from NC State. He cut down on his missed tackles, picked off a career-high five interceptions, and didn’t give up many big gains through the air. The Saints need more youth at safety with Jordan Howden entering a contract year and Justin Reid turning in an up-and-down performance. Add him to the group and see how he can help.
Recapping our draftRound 1, Pick 7: WR Carnell Tate, Ohio StateRound 2, Pick 39: LG Emmanuel Pregnon, OregonRound 3, Pick 71: RB Jadarian Price, Notre DameRound 4, Pick 130: CB Malik Muhammad, TexasRound 4, Pick 138: DT Albert Regis, Texas A&MRound 5, Pick 146: EDGE Clev Lubin, LouisvilleRound 5, Pick 169: C Logan Jones, IowaRound 6, Pick 185: S Bishop Fitzgerald, USC
We accomplished most of our goals here. The offensive line gets a new starter and a high-end backup at a key position. Shough gets more weapons. Personnel continues to get turned over defensively. It would have been nice to add an edge rusher earlier on but Lubin might be a sleeper in this draft class. And not addressing tight end feels like a mistake. It isn’t likely the Saints will spend big after paying Juwan Johnson more than $10 million per year in his new extension, but they did try to get Noah Fant last offseason, so you never know.