Saints 7-Round Mock Draft: Building on a strong foundation

The NFL draft is quickly approaching, with the first round kicking off in less than a week. For a team like the rebuilding New Orleans Saints, nailing this draft can make or break their future. The Saints had a strong draft in 2025, winning the Inside The League’s Best Draft Award.

Ending the 2025 season winning four of their last five, the Saints are looking for a big development season in 2026. Using multiple mock draft simulators, we explore a combination of what I would do and what I think the Saints would do to close out mock draft season.

Don’t overthink it. If Rueben Bain Jr is there, the Saints need to take him. Bain was a projected top-5 pick before his combine appearance, where his arms measured in at 30 7/8 inches, the third-shortest since 1999.

Bain was a force to be reckoned with at Miami, logging 20.5 sacks in three seasons, including a 9.5-sack season in 2025, earning All-American honors. His explosiveness is unmatched, and he should be the pick if he falls to the Saints at eight, who need a major upgrade at pass rusher.

The Saints need wide receiver depth desperately. As we’ve seen in the past, New Orleans is one Chris Olave injury away from throwing to practice-squad receivers, no disrespect.

While the Saints have made recent moves for receivers, trading for Ja’Lynn Polk and Devaughn Vele, neither player is proven. Vele was more than solid with Olave, but suffered an injury that ended his season. This is where Chris Bell comes in. Tyler Shough’s former teammate logged 72 receptions for 917 yards and 6 touchdowns in 11 games. Bell, unfortunately, suffered a torn ACL late in the season and is still rehabbing the injury.

While Bell’s injury is a bit counterproductive, his big frame, at 6-foot-2, makes him an intriguing target for the Saints. He has the build of a WR2 and the physicals to warrant a second-round pick. His recent injury is a concern, but if New Orleans believes he could fill the spot across from Olave, he should be the pick.

Iowa offensive lineman Gennings Dunker is massive, at 6-foot-5, 319 lbs. Along with 33 1/2-inch arms, the three-year starter played tackle at Iowa, but is expected to kick inside and play guard at the next level.

The Saints and Kellen Moore have made it their mission to fix the offensive line and protect Shough. They drafted a tackle in the top-10 in each of the last two drafts and signed guard David Edwards to a significant contract. With injuries constantly plaguing Erik McCoy and Cesar Ruiz’s struggles getting called out publicly by Mickey Loomis, it would be no surprise if the Saints use an early draft pick on their offensive line.

Dunker is limited in terms of athleticism, but a move to guard should help shade those limitations.

TCU linebacker Kaleb Elarms-Orr is one of the top athletic linebackers in the draft. He has the physical abilities to play sideline-to-sideline, but he has a significant lack of play recognition. Despite this, he’s a tackling machine and logged 130 tackles in 2025 with 11 TFLs and 4 sacks in 13 games. This was a build on his already impressive 2023 and 2024 seasons, logging 146 tackles between the two seasons.

Elarms-Orr probably wouldn’t see a lot of playing time early, but could make an impact on special teams with his combination of athleticism and tackling ability.

Texas safety Michael Taaffe played in 54 games in his college career. During that time, he climbed the ladder, walking on with the Longhorns before ending his collegiate career earning Third-Team Associated Press All-American and First-Team All-SEC. In 2025, Taaffe logged 70 tackles, 1 sack, and 2 interceptions.

The Texas safety is a natural-born leader and is a voice on the defense. While he will need more development on his physical frame, measuring at 5-foot-11 and 190 lbs, Taaffe’s high football IQ makes him an intriguing prospect and someone who could potentially take over for the Saints at safety.

The Saints have been doing their homework on tight ends during this draft process. While Juwan Johnson had a breakout year and they brought in veteran Noah Fant, there’s still plenty of room for tight end help with the departures of Foster Moreau and Taysom Hill.

Cincinnati tight end Joe Royer is a great fit to take over that spot for New Orleans. After three seasons with Ohio State seeing minimal snaps, Royer transferred to Cincinnati and had an immediate impact. The 6-foot-5 tight end logged 79 receptions for 937 yards and 7 touchdowns in two seasons with the Bearcats.

Royer is both tough and quick as a receiver and has already shown himself to be a reliable blocker. With strong production in his final two seasons, the Cincinnati tight end is an intriguing weapon for the Saints’ offense.

The Saints have brought in plenty of wide receivers for predraft visits, making it clear they are willing to double-dip in the draft. After bringing in Bell in the second round, we have the Saints claiming another wideout in the fifth round, adding Baylor wide receiver Josh Cameron.

Cameron has the build of a running back and could be a middle-of-the-field threat. The 6-foot-1 wide receiver weighs in at an impressive 220 pounds, but maintains decent speed. While not overly quick, his ball tracking skills and contested catch win rate are impressive. With wide receiver remaining to be a concern, Cameron makes a strong case for the Saints roster.

In 2025, Cameron logged 69 receptions for 872 yards and 9 touchdowns.

Despite being undersized, Louisville defensive tackle Rene Konga is impressively athletic. However, his athleticism has not translated into production, and he’s only logged six sacks over his last four seasons in college.

Konga is a player the Saints are interested in, and brought him in for a top-30 visit. With untapped athletic potential, he could be the team’s final pick in the draft, getting selected late in the sixth round.