March 16, 2026, 1:13 p.m. CT
How did the opening wave of free agency shake up everyone’s predictions for the 2026 NFL Draft? Few teams made as many big moves as the New Orleans Saints, who addressed their top needs by signing running back Travis Etienne Jr. and left guard David Edwards, as well as linebacker Kaden Elliss and tight end Noah Fant — plus punter Ryan Wright. That influx of proven veteran talent drastically changed expectations for how the Saints could move in the upcoming draft. Instead of targeting someone like Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love or Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles with the eighth overall pick, now the Saints are positioned to take the best player available.
And who could that be? Here’s a look at who the Saints took in twelve recent mock drafts published by different outlets in the wake of free agency. We’ve recapped them at the bottom after picking up on some notable trends.
USA TODAY: CB Mansoor Delane, LSU
With a huge need at the position following the departure of Alontae Taylor, the Saints could solve it by bringing in a guy who’s right up the road. Almost certainly the premier corner available this year, the 6-foot, 187-pound All-America has lockdown ability and might even be able to eat up some of Taylor’s snaps in the slot – though Delane was rarely used there at Virginia Tech and LSU.
CBS Sports: WR Carnell Tate, Ohio State
New Orleans is the latest team to use premium resources to support a young quarterback. It signed Travis Etienne Jr. and offensive guard David Edwards in free agency and now pairs Chris Olave with Carnell Tate.
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The Saints could go in several directions here, but grabbing another top target for second-year quarterback Tyler Shough would make a lot of sense. Tate is a big-bodied receiver at 6-foot-2 and 192 pounds who didn’t drop any of his catchable targets in 2025.
New York Post: WR Carnell Tate, Ohio State
Coach Kellen Moore would love nothing better than to help QB Tyler Shough with a bookend, who simply doesn’t drop passes, for Chris Olave.
Athlon Sports: WR Carnell Tate, Ohio State
Chris Olave has proved he can be a strong WR1 when healthy, but he’s struggled with injuries over the past two seasons, and the Saints dealt their second-best receiver in Rashid Shaheed at the trade deadline last year. Tate’s complete skill set would immediately give the Saints a massive WR2 upgrade, and he could easily eclipse Olave as Tyler Shough’s top target, especially if Olave’s injuries continue to pile up.
ESPN: WR Makai Lemon, USC
After linebacker Demario Davis reunited with the Jets, the Saints brought back their 2019 seventh-round pick Kaden Elliss. But wide receiver is a position they haven’t prominently addressed yet, as they need help alongside Chris Olave. Lemon would thrive in that role. The exceptional run-after-catch wideout had a dominant 2025 season, averaging the third-most receiving yards per game in the FBS (96.3). Lemon showed off his toughness, impressive catch radius and playmaking skills in the middle of the field.
Bears Wire: CB Mansoor Delane, LSU
The New Orleans Saints are not the worst team in the league, despite many expecting that in 2025. Well, adding a potential star corner in Mansoor Delane out of LSU would go a long way in their continued improvement.
NFL Draft on SI: EDGE David Bailey, Texas Tech
The New Orleans Saints have not re-signed Cameron Jordan. Meanwhile, they spent premium resources on offense by signing running back Travis Etienne Jr. and guard David Edwards. It’s trending towards them using this pick on defense. David Bailey ran a 4.50 in the 40-yard dash, the fastest recorded time of any pure pass rusher. Bailey also leaped a 35 inch vertical and 10-foot-9 broad. The speedy EDGE wins with athleticism and straightline explosion.
theScore: WR Makai Lemon, USC
Improving Tyler Shough’s supporting cast was the early theme of New Orleans’ free-agent deals. David Edwards stepping in at left guard completes a quietly stout offensive line, and Travis Etienne Jr. gives the Saints a new feature back. Next up: another weapon at receiver. Kellen Moore’s offense could be set for years to come with Lemon lining up opposite Chris Olave.
NFL Spin Zone: EDGE Rueben Bain Jr., Miami
Hats off to the New Orleans Saints thus far. Adding Noah Fant, Travis Etienne, and David Edwards in free agency are great moves to help get the most out of Tyler Shough in what could be a breakout season in year two. Shough and the Saints won four of their final five games in 2025 and also saw some notable improvements defensively.
The Saints stay put at pick eight and take Rueben Bain Jr, and while his length is a concern, he’s also simply a top prospect and a good football player, so in a few years, we might look back at Bain and wonder how so many people simply overthought this prospect. New Orleans could make teams look silly for passing him up.
This would be such a Saints pick. Bain is my No. 1 overall player in this class, but he might fall a bit due to shorter arms. His combination of pass-rushing skill and exceptional run defense is unmatched, especially at his size. Miami would set him to one side of the line by himself and dare teams to run at him. The power he plays with is eye-popping and no one in college could match his strength/speed combination.
A to Z Sports: EDGE David Bailey, Texas Tech
The Saints spent most of their efforts this past week leveling up the offensive side of the ball for young quarterback Tyler Shough. Noah Fant, David Edwards, and Travis Etienne are all nice additions on paper. Kaden Elliss was tabbed at linebacker; he can help the pass rush as well as playing off the ball. But another horse to rush off the edge is sorely needed behind Chase Young and Carl Granderson. Bailey is exactly that.
2026 Saints mock draft trends are developing
No player was linked to the Saints more often than Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Carnell Tate (four times), and he would fill a big need for a Saints team missing many proven options outside of Chris Olave (can Devaughn Vele’s body hold up to those big hits over the middle?). Four other players were chosen in two mock drafts. One of those was USC star Makai Lemon, who only went top-10 in one other projection (No. 7 to the Washington Commanders). Between Tate and Lemon, half of these mock drafts predict New Orleans to draft a receiver. Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson only went top-10 once in a dozen mocks (at No. 9, to the Kansas City Chiefs). The Saints have done a lot of work on him including multiple stops at ASU practices during the season, but they may have found more reasons not to draft him than to pick him eighth overall.
The others play defense. There’s a chance Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey could fall to the Saints but he’s a unanimous top-10 pick with an average draft position of 5.8. Odds are better he goes top-three than for him to be on the board at No. 8. His Miami Hurricanes counterpart Rueben Bain Jr. was once seen as a potential first overall pick, but his ADP has fallen to 7.0. If he makes it past Washington, the Saints could be in position to take him. And it’s looking more and more likely that LSU Tigers corner Mansoor Delane could be an option. His ADP lines up with the Saints’ pick (8.0) and they’ll need a replacement for Alontae Taylor. If Delane is their highest-graded available player, he could be the pick.