The season for 2026 NFL mock drafts is under way, and it’s time to take a look at early projections for the New Orleans Saints.
The Saints will have the No. 8 overall pick when the first round takes place on April 23 in Pittsburgh.
Last season, the team selected offensive lineman Kelvin Banks Jr. and quarterback Tyler Shough in the first two rounds of the 2025 Draft. Both Shough and Banks were named to the Pro Football Writers of America All-Rookie team.
Here’s a look at some of the prominent projections this week:
ESPN: Jordyn Tyson, wide receiver, Arizona State
ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. highlighted that the Saints only had one player, not named Chris Olave, who finished the season with over 300 receiving yards — Rashid Shaheed, who was traded to the Seattle Seahawks at the mid-season deadline.
SB Nation: Carnell Tate, wide receiver, Ohio State
In 11 games this past season, Tate grabbed 51 catches for 875 yards and 9 touchdowns. A standout highlight he had from the year was a touchdown he snatched over two Wisconsin defenders as his helmet came off.
ClutchPoints: Carnell Tate, wide receiver, Ohio State
The outlet previously projected Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey to go to New Orleans at this pick, but shift to the offensive side of the ball.
WalterFootball: Jordyn Tyson, wide receiver, Arizona State
The self-proclaimed “most accurate” mock draft, WalterFootball also has the Saints selecting a wideout.
“Jordyn Tyson is a speedy, explosive receiver with quality size,” the platform wrote.
ProFootballFocus: Peter Woods, defensive lineman, Clemson
PFF has both Tate and Tyson off the board by 8, so in comes Clemson defensive tackle Peter Woods. The platform pointed to the underwhelming start of Bryan Bresee’s career as justification for going to the defensive line in the first round.
Woods finished the 2025 season with 9 solo tackles and 2 sacks.