The New Orleans Saints were able to salvage their 2025 NFL regular season as they ended up finishing with a 6-11 record, and winning four of their last five games.
The Saints gained momentum with being able to turn around their season, and now need to find a way to carry that over into the 2026 season. Tyler Shough established himself as the franchise quarterback, so the main goal now will be for the Kellen Moore and the Saints to build around him.
One way in which they need to do so is by having a great 2026 NFL Draft.
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New Orleans Saints 7-Round NFL Mock Draft
The Saints hold the eighth overall pick in the first round, and in total have eight picks in the 2026 NFL Draft. This gives them more than enough draft capital to work with to further get the team back on track.
In this installment of the 2026 NFL 7-Round Mock Draft series, TWSN analysts Marissa Myers and Steve Bradshaw go through what a successful draft would look like for the Saints.
Mock Draft Done Using the PFF Mock Draft Simulator
David Bailey, EDGE, Texas Tech: First-Round Pick, Eighth Overall
The New Orleans Saints have a number of needs, so it would make sense to go best player available. Especially at a premium position such as edge rusher.
Despite being a bit smaller at 6’3, 250 pounds, Bailey had a fantastic year in 2025 with a 21.6% pass rush win rate (per PFF) to pair with 14.5 sacks in 14 games.
Even though Bailey’s run defense is a bit of a concern, last year he posted a 9.0% run-stop rate (per PFF).
Germie Bernard, WR, Alabama: Second-Round Pick, 42nd Overall
With Shough showing he was able to become the franchise quarterback to end the 2026 season, the biggest thing for New Orleans on the offensive side of the ball will be to surround him with better receiving talent. Chris Olave is a good wide receiver, but his health concerns have become too great for New Orleans to overlook.
To get more wide receivers around Shough, they can look to draft Bernard. With what Bernard showed at Alabama, he can be a deep threat for the Saints. Bernard’s top speed and smooth route running can make him a true threat Shough can rely on.
Deontae Lawson, LB, Alabama: Third-Round Pick, 73rd Overall
In round three, the Saints should look to address their defense once again. The idea here would be to find a long-term replacement for Demario Davis.
Davis has been a crucial part of this defense for the past eight years, but he’s now 37 years old. Deontae Lawson comes in at 6’2” and 228 pounds, but he posted a PFF run defense grade of 83.6 this past year.
In 15 games this past year, Lawson had just 1.5 sacks and zero interceptions, but 89 tackles.
Albert Regis, DT, Texas A&M: Fourth-Round Pick, 132nd Overall
As the Saints look to restructure their entire team better for the future, they need to get better defensive line depth, especially on the interior as they can’t just rely on Bryan Bresee who has struggled throughout his career so far. They ranked 31st against the run, and that can’t be the case for the Saints again.
Drafting Regis, who is an anchor against the run, while also being able to take on double teams, would prove to be a great draft pick for New Orleans.
Mike Washington Jr, RB, Arkansas: Fourth-Round Pick, 137th Overall
Mike Washington Jr. is a great day three option for a Saints team that needs a new running back. Alvin Kamara is 30 years old and just ran for a career low 3.6 YPC in 2025.
Washington started off his career at Buffalo for three years, then spent his 2024 season at New Mexico State. Finally, in 2025, Washington had a massive breakout at Arkansas.
This past year, Washington ran for 1,070 yards, 6.4 YPC, and eight touchdowns on 167 carries. Not only that, but Washington has NFL size at 6’2” and 228 lbs (per PFF).
Beau Stephens, OL, Iowa: Fifth-Round Pick, 148th Overall
Going back to helping build around Shough, the Saints need to look to address their offensive line depth. With Stephens sitting here he is a player that the Saints can look to draft.
Stephens has excellent power and is able to get out of his stance quickly to anchor into his block. He is an elite run blocker with upside to help in pass protection, making him an ideal pick.
Ted Hurst, WR, Georgia State: Fifth-Round Pick, 170th Overall
Even after taking Bernard, the Saints could use some more wide receiver depth. Despite coming from a small school at Georgia State, Ted Hurst is tough to pass up on at 6’3, 195 pounds.
Given that Hurst is 6’3”, it shouldn’t come as a shock that he had a 59.3% contested catch rate.
Outside of that, it seems like the consensus believes that this would be a great value for New Orleans. Hurst has a consensus big board rank of 84, and the Saints were able to land him at pick No. 170 in this mock draft.
Tanner Koziol, TE, Houston: Sixth-Round Pick, 189th Overall
The days of relying on Taysom Hill need to be over, and the Saints need to look to shift their focus at the tight end spot to the future.
Koziol can develop into an essential player for the Saints’ offense. Koziol has shown he is a reliable target with his secure hands and large catch radius. He is also able to create mismatches with his size at 6’7, 250 pounds. All around, Koziol has all the skills to become an ideal player for the Saints’ offense.
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