By Ryan Hinton
1. Jeremiyah Love RB, Notre Dame – Simply the most talented and best football player in the draft. Production, skillset, physical traits, it all just comes together for Jeremiyah. A true centerpiece of a potential team. With the Saints, he would instantly solve their tepid big-play offense (32nd in the league) and give them a true identity. Yes they just paid Etienne, and the arguments against taking him where the Saints are in their rebuild are valid, but in this draft, there are very few blue-chip talents. If he is there, you take him and figure the rest out later.
2. Avrell Reese LB, Ohio State – Every so often, you see players coming into the draft that just pop off the screen. Avrel Reese is dripping with talent and potential. And while he is still a projection as a true EDGE, his off-the-ball skills are great, he has football instincts and would be an instant impact player on Staley’s defense. You could move him around depending on down and distance, spy mobile QBs, or let him feast on QBs as a pass rusher. A true building block on defense.
3. David Bailey DE, Texas Tech – Bailey has rare first-step quickness off the edge that you don’t see often. It’s his superpower, and it has given some good offensive tackles in college football major problems. His production, athletic traits, and tenacity on the field give me confidence that he will hit as a prospect. He has warts. He needs to get stronger in the run game and could use some refinement in attack plans, but him being a counterpuncher with Chase Young’s powerful pass rush could give the Saints bookend edge rushers for years to come.
4. Caleb Downs S, Ohio State – Downs is arguably the best player in this draft from a snap-to-snap, down-to-down basis. After film study, it was tough to find negative plays. He is smooth, physical, and extremely intelligent (started as a true freshman on Nick Saban’s defense). He is scheme versatile, showing great range playing deep, and the ability to attack down in the box. He has great pattern recognition and a quick trigger attacking pass catchers in space. While his ball production isn’t eye-popping, his ability to always be near the play will give him big swings for turnovers in the pros.
5. Carnell Tate WR, Ohio State – Tate is a lean, long striding WR that runs some of the smoothest routes for a man his size. His hands are one of his best traits as he rarely drops the ball and snags them out the air. While his 2025 tape showed his big play ability and deep threat attributes, his 2024 tape showed him running diverse routes in Chip Kelly’s offense, attacking the sideline and the middle of the field. He is a guy that can attack every level of a defense and be a day 1 starter at X. People will argue whether he can be a true #1 but to me, he has plenty of untapped potential. HIm playing along side Chris Olave would give Saints true threats at every level in the passing game that would leave defenses to make tough decisions.
6. Makai Lemon WR, USC – Arguably my favorite WR in the draft, Lemon is a “football player.” His spatial awareness over the middle and quick-footedness, coupled with his ability to attack the ball in the air despite smallish hands, was a thing to watch. And just because he is sub-6ft, don’t think he isn’t physical. He had no problem mixing it up with linebackers blocking the run and played with fearlessness when attacking the ball on contested catches. His ability to break tackles in space is sorely needed in the Saints offense. The ability for Kellen Moore to move him around with Chris Olave and attack matchups would add an element of consistency to the pass game.
7. Reuben Bain DE, Miami – Tenacity. That’s the first word that comes to mind anytime you watch Bain play. His relentlessness in his pursuit of the ball carrier is a beauty to watch. His quick strike, power, and use of leverage is undeniable and immediately translates to Sunday football. I did a study on some of the best pass rushers last year, and one common trait I saw when studying how they won was power. The ability to physically dominate OL consistently is what wins in the NFL. Having that along with a relentless motor tells me Bain will overcome his short arm deficiencies. Also his ability to not only affect the edge but also interior makes him a versatile piece for defenses. His run defense is also top notch, which will get him on the field early as a rookie.
8. KC Conception WR, Texas A&M – Of all the offensive weapons in this draft, I feel like KC is the one that would keep defensive coordinators up at night on the day before a game. His explosiveness is a thing of beauty. I watched him run by some legit good corners in the SEC with no issues, only for him to not get targeted. He has a good frame build even though he is on the smaller side, and can do it all: deep, intermediate, or take short passes or screens the distance. Much has been made about his dropped ball percentage, and it is an issue, but I don’t see it being a mechanical problem like some other WRs in the past who have had drop issues. He would instantly add the dynamic the Saints lost with Rasheed Shaheed to the offense + more legitimate WR skills. His work as a returner is also great and much needed on the Saints.
9. Jordyn Tyson WR, Arizona State – Tyson is a smooth mover that shows the ability to attack space and snatch the ball out of the air with ease. His ability to shrink the space between himself and the defender is impressive. The acrobatics and agility he has make him a dynamic weapon on any offense, but especially the Saints offense, who with Olave could destroy defenses. Tyson’s ability to win over the middle and track the ball makes me feel like he has much more potential as a pro. He still needs plenty of refinement as a route runner, and obviously there are huge health concerns, but the tape shows a guy with WR1 ability that is just starting to scratch the surface.
10. Sonny Styles LB, Ohio State – Styles is an athletic freak that’s been asked to play linebacker. Unlike other freaky athletes we’ve seen at LB that flame out, Styles has legitimate football instincts that show up on tape and a nose for attacking the ball. Also, his high-level athleticism allows him to course correct when making the wrong decisions. He is physical and not scared to mix it up with OL down-blocking. Only a 2-year starter at LB, there is tons of room for growth and he has the ability to be a Brian Urlacher level talent once he puts it all together. He could start alongside Kaden Elliss in a rotation as he learns the ropes, then eventually get handed the green dot and the defensive signal caller.
11. Mansoor Delane CB, LSU – Delane is an elite level technician with great instincts and a tough playing style that immediately translates to the NFL. His ability to quickly identify routes and adjust his hips is impressive. He’s at his best when attacking down hill after reading patterns. He also gets physical in the run game and likes to mix it up. There are questions about his long speed, and although he did run a 4.3 40 time – there were times WRs did run past him, but were not targeted. He strikes me as a high floor cornerback with potential to be one of the top 10 CBs in the league.
12. Jermod McCoy CB, Tennesse – McCoy has the ability to be a true CB1 in the NFL purely based on his physical traits. He is fast, quick, and has great length and ball awareness. His ability to mirror match and stay in phase with WRs down field is a thing of beauty to watch. Having missed all of the 2025 seasons leaves me wondering how good he could have been with another season of development at Tennessee. Drafting him, you are betting on him hitting his upside as he still needs work in zone coverage and learning the technical details of playing CB, but it wouldn’t shock me if he becomes one of the best CBs in the league in a few years. HIs selection would give the Saints speed on defense that is sorely needed, and a potential true CB1 of the future.
13. Kenyon Sadiq TE, Oregon – Sadiq is a physical freak being asked to play tight end. Relatively smaller in stature compared to prototypical TEs, he is built like a big running back with pass-catching ability. He is a dynamic player in space and is at his best running downfield. More of a straight-line athlete, he is someone who I could see constantly being played on Redzone on Sundays after big plays and TDs—think Isaiah Likely. Make no mistake, he is a physical blocker and gets physical when asked to, but due to his size, can get manhandled at times. He would not be my favorite pick at 8, but I could instantly see the vision in the Saints offense: giving Kellen options in the passing attack and upgrading the physicality in the tight end position. Giving Saints a weapon that could torch defenses with the ball in his hand.
Check out our piece on some offensive draft prospects.
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