NFL Draft Buzz: Saints Meeting With Round 1 Draft Target

The Saints are reportedly meeting with one of their top first-round NFL draft targets.

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Carnell Tate talks to agent Drew Rosenhaus during Pro Day for NFL scouts at the Woody Hayes Athletics Center on March 25, 2026. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The New Orleans Saints came into the offseason with a lot of holes on their roster. But they dove into free agency to add a few impact players in an attempt to bolster their roster back up.

The Saints signed David Edwards and Travis Etienne as impact players on offense. They also brought in Noah Fant to help Tyler Shough's offense. On defense, the biggest addition the Saints made was signing Kaden Elliss to replace Demario Davis at linebacker.

Now, the Saints can turn their attention to the NFL draft. They're reportedly meeting with one of their top targets ahead of the draft.

Saints meeting with Ohio State WR Carnell Tate

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Carnell Tate — Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) celebrates with wide receiver Carnell Tate (17) during the first half of the Big Ten Conference championship game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Dec. 6, 2025. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"Ohio State WR Carnell Tate is visiting the Saints this week, according to a source," Saints reporter Nick Underhill wrote in a post to X on Tuesday. "Tate is 6-foot-2 and 192 pounds with a 78-inch wingspan. He caught 51 passes for 875 yards and 9 TDs in 2025, posting the best catch rate (77.3%) among the top receivers in this class despite running the deepest routes."

Tate is projected to go somewhere in the first 13 picks of the NFL draft. He's been mocked in the top five multiple times. There's buzz that he could go at pick No. 6 or pick No. 7 ahead of the Saints, too.

But if he's on the board at pick No. 8, it seems like he would be the no-brainer selection for New Orleans. The Saints need a wide receiver behind Chris Olave this offseason and Tate is the top name on the board.

Why Carnell Tate is the perfect NFL draft addition

Tate would be the perfect fit for the Saints for a few reasons.

The main reason that he would work well with the Saints is the fact that he's an incredible deep threat and Shough has a huge arm. Shough's ability to throw the deep ball would pair perfectly with Tate's ability to win the jump ball.

Tate is also versatile enough to play on the outside or in the slot. He can make defenders miss as a slot receiver, too. He might not have the craziest college stats, but he played behind wide receivers like Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka. Adding Tate to the Saints offense would be the perfect move at pick No. 8.