A casual Saints fan's guide to the 2026 NFL draft
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Carnell Tate has been a popular projection for the Saints' first-round pick. Photo: Jason Mowry/Getty Images
The Saints enter the NFL Draft ready to build around Tyler Shough, the promising young quarterback they selected this time last year.
Why it matters: Shough's rapid rise to Rookie of the Year contender creates a degree of urgency for the Saints to build up the roster around him.
State of play: New Orleans is thin at wide receiver beyond Chris Olave, who's on the last year of his contract and has been injury-prone.
- Other needs include cornerback and pass rusher. The Saints have eight picks in this draft, including No. 8 overall Thursday night in the first round.
Names to know: Many analysts have forecast the Saints will use that pick on Carnell Tate, the Ohio State star considered the draft's best receiver.
- But Tate may not make it to the eighth pick. Another touted receiver who could is Arizona State's Jordyn Tyson.
- Other options for No. 8 could include pass rushers Reuben Bain Jr. of Miami and David Bailey of Texas Tech, or cornerback Mansoor Delane, a local favorite who played for LSU.
The intrigue: If the Saints don't take a receiver in the first round, a name to watch in Round 2 is Louisville's Chris Bell.
- Bell and Shough were college teammates, and Bell told reporters that Shough "wants me so bad, and he's been pushing my name."
How to watch: The draft starts Thursday at 8pm. Rounds 2 and 3 air at 7pm Friday, with the remaining four rounds airing Saturday, starting at noon.
- There are a ton of places to watch: ESPN, ABC (for Round 1), Disney+, NFL Network and the ESPN App.