It is that time of year when Saints fans everywhere are discussing draft prospects and which players can possibly help this young, up-and-coming Saints team. The Saints Block Party community is no different, so we asked our community to give us some Day 2 Offensive players they like in this year’s draft that can fit the Saints and make the team better. All the opinions below are aggregated from our Saints Block Party patreon community and don’t necessarily reflect the opinions of Ryan and Adam.
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Ja’Kobi Lane – WR, USC. 6’4″, 200lbs.
Jakobi Lane was a popular suggestion among our community, and it’s easy to see why. At 6’4″, he offers a rare blend of size, catch radius, and athleticism, projecting as a reliable red-zone threat and quarterback-friendly target who can elevate and balance the passing attack.
Jakobi Lane projects as an ideal complement to Chris Olave thanks to his size, catch radius, and ability to win at the catch point, giving defenses a different type of receiver to account for on the outside while preventing them from focusing solely on Olave. Lane consistently wins in contested situations with strong body control and excellent ball tracking, and his 6’4” frame, red-zone production, and ability to adjust to off-target passes make him a reliable scoring threat and a quarterback-friendly target for Tyler Shough as he enters his sophomore season. Lane also has the ability to work the middle of the field and develop into the sure-handed, high-volume target the New Orleans Saints have been missing since the departure of former All-Pro receiver Michael Thomas. When paired with Olave’s elite route running and vertical speed, Lane’s physical presence and underrated athleticism create a balanced receiver duo capable of stressing defenses within Kellen Moore’s offensive system.
– Dorian Bourgeois
Lane fully plays to his frame with excellent catch radius and a penchant for spectacular catches. In particular he brings immediate red zone value and he’s both faster (4.47) and more fluid in space than you might expect for a 6’4″ receiver. In particular he pairs very well with Tyler Shough’s skillset and his ability to use all of his frame allows you to maximize shough’s greatest strength (ball placement). I prefer a player like Lane vs some of the other receivers likely to be available in rounds 2 and 3 because of the skillset he adds to the team as well as how that skillset synergies with Tyler and the offense as a whole. Assuming they go defense in the first, he’d really be the final piece on a ‘new look’ offense in 2026.
– Brian Pavek
Chris Bell – WR, Louisville. 6’2″, 220 lbs.
Chris Bell has been one of the most popular prospects for Saints fans. He played with Tyler Shough in college and Shough has not been shy about wanting to play with him. The Saints are in great need of juice, and despite the injuries, Bell may be worth a look.
Chris Bell is a little unpolished and kinda raw but high ceiling WR that loves football and has a relationship with QB1. Physical, almost RB-like with the ball in his hands. Would add hierarchy to the WR room across from Olave as a more finesse type WR and allowing him to be deployed in multiple sets where he’d be most dangerous. Love the fit for Kellen’s offense.
– Chris Bunch
Chris Bell is one of the top receivers of this year’s draft class who likely would have been a clear first round pick of not for an ACL tear he received in November 2025 which has prevented him from any combine workouts or pro-day workouts. “Don’t let this injury fool you. I’m still that dog. I’m still that guy. I’m still that beast that you see on the field. Just give me time, and I’ll be back right.” According to Jordan Schultz, Bell is recovering ahead of his projected timeline. The ACL tear can’t be ignored but if properly healed, he could very well return to what he was at Louisville which was a move WR who could exploit matchups. He possesses one of the best H/W measurables of any wide receiver in this class.
His varied tempo releasing off the line kept cornerbacks guessing and he was able to use his legitimate track speed to sprint downfield where he is excellent at tracking deep balls. After the catch he is elusive and able to shift into a higher gear where he can easily turn a 10-yard completion into a 30-yard gain. He’s not willing to work the middle of the field running those slants. In contemporary terms, he is a prototypical X receiver which would take attention off Chris Olave giving Kellen Moore another weapon to scheme around. One unspoken intrigue Moore may have with Bell is how similar he is to former San Francisco 49er Deebo Samuel Jr. Like Samuel, Bell’s route tree is undeveloped with his route-running lacking the salesmanship of elite receivers. Bell predominantly ran crossers and vertical routes in college and collegiate defensive backs were able to re-route him when they got their hands on him within the first five yards of his route. He also does not possess the vacuum hands of the elite receivers in this class and for every gravity-defying grab he has an equally frustrating drop. His run-blocking is also a work in progress. He has the technique but has not shown the passion for it.
He will need to work to fully develop his route-tree, work on his concentration to correct the drops, and be willing to fight and win against the more physical corners. Best case scenario: AJ Brown Worst case scenario: Jonathan Mingo Most likely scenario: Deebo Samuel Jr.
– Jordan Grove
Germie Bernard – WR, ALABAMA. 6’1″, 204 lbs.
Germie Bernard is an under-the-radar prospect who brings consistency, reliability, and versatility to an offense. A smart, sure-handed receiver, he excels at finding space and making himself available, making him a quarterback-friendly option who can contribute across all levels of the field.
Consistent, Reliable, Productive. In a draft world obsessed with the highest ceilings possible, Germie Bernard represents the antithesis for that in this draft. One of the smartest WRs in this class, Bernard is adept at finding open space and working back to his QB to help the offense stay on schedule. Consistent production over the past 2 seasons, while upping his volume and big play ability shows a growing game. Bernard’s ability to make every catch shows up on tape at all levels of the field, especially over the middle. With only 4 drops on 232 career targets, this is a player that QBs trust to make plays in crucial moments. His Alabama tape shows his immense versatility, between lining up on the boundary, in the slot and even in the backfield for the crimson tide. This versatility will allow for coaches to be very creative in using Bernard to be an effective weapon on every down. Bernard will have to answer questions regarding his overall athletic limitations, but his overall reliability and willingness to attack all levels of the field makes him a best friend for whoever his future NFL QB will be. 2025 Stats: 64 Catches, 862 Yards, 7 TDs Pro Comp: Jakobi Meyers.
– Cole Zellner
Jonah Coleman – RB, Washington. 5’8″, 220 lbs.
Signing Travis Etienne provides some juice to the RB room but outside of him, there is the uncertainty of what Kendre Miller still brings along with questions regarding Alvin Kamara’s future with the Saints. Jonah Coleman could add a physical element to the Saints ground game as a compact, muscle-bound, grind-it-out complement to Etienne. Coleman signed with Jedd Fisch and the Arizona Wildcats and across 2 seasons in 25 games he totaled 1,243 rushing yards and 9 touchdowns. Transferring to Washington when Fisch took the job there, he built upon his production at Arizona by rushing for over 1,000 yards in 2024. He started 2025 strong and was building on his 2024 campaign before a knee injury suffered against Wisconsin slowed him. He finished his collegiate career with 3,054 rushing yards and 34 touchdowns in 50 games. What Coleman brings is a compact, low-center-of-gravity back who has a natural feel for zone concepts with natural balance where hand tackles won’t bring him down. He has receiving ability out of the backfield and most importantly has ball security losing only ONE fumble out of 396 touches. However, his route tree is limited and his top-end speed won’t provide any highlight reel plays with him separating from defensive backs. His pass protection needs work but does show he’s willing. Finally, with his style of play he needs to improve his urgency and decisiveness. That said, Coleman should be a tempo-control back who can grind out the tough yards by a back a coach can trust not to cough up the rock. His medicals would need to be checked to ensure no lingering damage from the knee injury he suffered in November against Wisconsin. If that checks out you could have a back with comparisons to Blake Corum, Tyler Allgeier, and Rachaad White.
– Jordan Grove
Jadyn Ott – RB, Oklahoma. 5’11”, 208 lbs.
The Saints picked up Travis Etienne in the offseason. With Alvin Kamara aging and largely unproven options behind him, picking up a running back like Jadyn Ott late may be a good option to build depth.
Almost definitely more of a mid to late round option, Ott brings extreme dynamism to a largely lackluster class. He’s a highly explosive runner with excellent acceleration, solid contact balance, and loose enough hips to be elusive in the open field, his vision can be a bit questionable to me, but as a change of pace back he brings legit home run ability. He tends to get to top speed very quickly and I could see him bringing a lot of value as a change of pace back and a back up to Etienne. With a QB capable of stacking throws and moving the chains in Shough, one thing we really need are dynamic playmakers, a mid round flyer on Ott’s upside might bring that.
– Brian Pavek
Jaydn Ott is a RB who had an up and down college career before arriving at the 2026 draft process. A very explosive straight line runner, Ott put his best work on tape while at Cal over the 2022 & 2023 seasons. His straight line speed was shown at the combine, by his 4.48 40 yard dash. His ability to create big plays for himself with great vision and immense patience shows at all stops of his career. His ability to contribute as a ball carrier and pass catcher shows a well rounded skill set that will fit with many play callers. Totaling over 2700 yards and 25 TDs from scrimmage his first 2 years at Call allowed for him to be a top RB prospect in the initial 2025 RB rankings. Since then, it has been a very injury riddled couple of seasons for Ott between his final year at Cal and his only year at Oklahoma. Totaling just over 450 yards total in last 2 seasons, concerns over Ott’s ability to maintain an NFL workload are legitimate and must be answered. On the field, the main concerns for Ott stem from his lack of lateral agility, being very limited outside of his one cut ability. His agility testing at the 2026 combine supported these concerns. The final concern for Ott is his pass blocking technique needs a total overhaul and must be corrected if he’s ever going to be a multi down back at the pro level. Ott’s outlook in the league will be an early down back, preferably in a zone run scheme to allow his vision and 1 cut ability to shine. If teams allow for development of his pass blocking and find a way to keep him healthy like his 2022/2023 seasons, a high level rotational back can show itself. Pro Comp: Poor Man’s Breece Hall
– Cole Zellner
Sam Roush – TE, Stanford. 6’6″, 267 lbs.
Sam Roush is a guy that some members of our community are EXTREMELY high on and view as someone who can really be the future at the tight end position.
Sam Roush, a tight end for Stanford, is one of those draft prospects that stands out due to his size and quickness. At 6’6, 267 pounds, he moves way better than you’d expect, and his testing numbers like a 4.70 forty and a 38.5 vertical back it up. He has demonstrated that he can be a dependable target in the passing game in addition to being a potent in line blocker, essentially he’s an additional lineman when necessary. Although Roush isn’t currently the most proficient route runner, he has the resources and plays tough and hard every time. He appears to be the type that of tight end who might become very reliable nfl starter due to his size, power, and potential, making him an intriguing day 2 or day 3 pick.
– Mia Nicole
Sam Roush is the most complete TE prospect in this draft and I’ll die on this hill. Roush is tough as he is intelligent and it shows when his tape is littered with him finding soft spots in zone, then frustratingly clapping or tilting the helmet when Stanford’s QB(s) fail to deliver him the ball. Eerily similar to watching Elic Ayomanor last year… I like that he’s a hand’s catcher, punishing tackle breaker and a more-than-willing blocker. His 4.7 40 time isn’t blazing by any means but it doesn’t need to be, with how explosive, deliberate and polished his routes are. (7.08sec 3-cone and 4.37sec 20-yd shuttle. See: Adam Trautman, Austin Hooper, Trey McBride, Noah Fant, Travis Kelce)
And then there’s the conversation of scheme fit in Kellen’s offensive vision: Like a glove.
As it stands, the Saints’ TE room consists of Juwan Johnson, Noah Fant and Moliki Matavao. Part of watching the 2025 Kellen Moore offense that burned my eyes was seeing rookie & 2nd year Tackles Kelvin Banks Jr and Taliese Fuaga post up on islands because you couldn’t trust Ruiz or whatever LG to chip in and/or be anything beyond a warm body. The other contributing factor is that until Foster Moreau was able to return, there was absolutely no help in blocking from the Tight Ends. By 2030, I’m willing to bet that a tandem of Roush & Matavao (or TreyDez, or Oregon kid in 2027, etc) along with a WR room with legit NFL talent will decrease the need for a pseudo-TE/WR that offers nothing in the run game as the league shifts toward heavy set, 12 & 13 personnel offenses.
I’m banging the table for Roush with the expectation that Kellen & co address the WR room early. If Shough is the guy, give him somebody that’ll give him the answers to the test for the next 7 years. Get him in the building. Period. We have multiple 4ths and I believe he’ll be there.
– Chris Bunch
Eli Stowers – TE, Vanderbilt. 6’4″, 235 lbs.
Tight end has been an underwhelming spot for the Saints, lacking the explosiveness the offense has missed for years. Eli Stowers offers a potential fix as a dynamic, pass-catching weapon with elite athleticism, strong hands, and impressive run-after-catch ability.
The Saints have lacked explosive playmaking at tight end since Jimmy Graham was traded to Seattle in 2015. That could change if they were to select the reigning Mackey award winner in Vanderbilt tight end Eli Stowers on Day 2. Stowers has prototypical height at 6’4” with a lean, rocked up 240lb frame. He posted an elite 9.47 RAS which included a 4.51 40 at the combine. His route-running needs to be polished, but he brings an outstanding catch radius and immense RAC ability. He has the speed to threaten against linebackers and is elusive enough to get past the secondary. hands averaging 2.7 yards per route ran in 2025, can contort his body to make impossible catches which was needed with Diego Pavia as his quarterback, and incredible hand strength. The pay off is his blocking ability. He’s willing but his commitment, aggression, and technique are not where they need to be and likely never will. He is a quarterback convert having been a 4* recruit out of Texas leading his high school to the Texas 6A state championship game. He brings the type of mentality to the field as a TE being able to process defenses with the ball in his hand. That’s where the lack of blocking ability comes in. He is very much in the mold of a modern move tight end. He needs to add more muscle but he is a dangerous weapon in the passing game who would add an extra dimension to the Saints offense that has been sorely lacking while providing Tyler Shough a reliable safety blanket that can make electric plays.
– Jordan Grove
Jake Slaughter – C, Florida. 6’4″, 303 lbs.
With Erik McCoy aging and dealing with injuries, the Saints can use a succession plan. Enter Jack Slaughter.
Jake Slaughter, Centre out of Florida is a prospect with enticing tape and measurables. He possesses a powerful first point of contact jab, rarely missing the mark with his 10 inch hands. Slaughter is a fluid mover, showcased when asked to pull from inside, as well as on screenplays. Shows a decent anchor, with room to improve his footwork. He’s projected to be a late 2nd to 3rd round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Immediate Strengths: Grip Strength
– Hand Placement
– Anchor
– Movement Skills
– Pocket Constructor
Immediate Weaknesses:
– Finishing the play
– Aggressiveness
– Resetting feet
– Explosiveness
As a prospect for the Saints, he’d be a good late Day 2 to early Day 3 pickup, where his role would be to serve as an understudy for McCoy to begin the season. His maturity and polished technique shouldn’t alarm the O-Line if McCoy were to suffer another long term injury, Slaughter would be a more than capable spot starter in his rookie season, with room to eventually take over from McCoy in the long term.
– Yonic Mack
Gennings Dunker – OG, Iowa. 6’5″, 319 lbs.
With the Saints’ interior offensive line a major weakness going into the offseason, Gennings Dunker offers a strong, physical solution at guard. His power, grip strength, and run-blocking ability make him a high-floor, tone-setting presence despite some lateral limitations.
Another big mover with some limited lateral agility and quickness. Senior. Three year starter. He projects more as a guard at the next level. He has a powerful initial step and punch with strong hands. If he gets a grip on you he can move you with relative ease. His power also lends itself to a strong anchor against a bull rush. Has a nasty streak to him and was a second team Academic All American so the intangibles are all there. His limited mobility and lateral stride hurts him as a tackle prospect but makes him perfect for a move inside where he can dominate in the middle with his strength and drive.
– Paul Banks
Cesar Ruiz has been a disappointment since the moment he was drafted. While signing David Edwards has solidified LG next to Kelvin (Kevlar) Banks, there is uncertainty on the right side of the line with LT Taliese’s Fuaga’s health going into the season and the ever-questionable presence of Ruiz. An answer in the second round could be Iowa Guard Gennings Dunker. While he played tackle at Iowa, he showcased his positional versatility at the Senior Bowl taking reps at guard and winning decisively during practice week. While that kind of versatility is a plus – what makes Dunker standout is his old-school approach. He studies tape, as is evidenced in the linked interview, his power, grip strength, his ability to fire off the ball, control his defender, open run lanes, and pull in a power running game. He does struggle with twists and controlling more athletic, longer-limbed defenders so there is work that needs to be refined and some help assigned depending who he is working against. Overall, he is an athletic mauler that plays with controlled violence who possesses a high floor and even higher ceiling that can set the tone at guard for over a decade keeping the quarterback clean. It can’t be understanding either about the legacy Iowa has of producing starting caliber offensive lineman and Dunker looks to be continue that trend.
– Jordan Grove
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