Saints' Free Agency Moves Reveal Obvious Direction for NFL Draft

The New Orleans Saints were seen as one of the biggest winners on the first day of NFL free agency in early March.

New Orleans signed both running back Travis Etienne Jr. and offensive guard David Edwards to lucrative, long-term contracts that bolstered the team's offense and shaped the franchise's future as the offseason progresses. The Saints also later added tight end Noah Fant and linebacker Kaden Elliss, marking the end of the Taysom Hill and Demario Davis eras, respectively.

Now, with the NFL Draft quickly approaching, the Saints seem ready to target a wide receiver at some point after not signing one during free agency. They urgently need another young talent to complement Chris Olave and make life easier for Tyler Shough as he enters his second year in the league.

The Saints have several options in the NFL Draft

Feb 27, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Ohio State wideout Carnell Tate (WO37) speaks to members of the media during the NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. | Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images

Simply put, if the Saints stick-and-pick at No. 8, they have three options if they want to add at wideout.

Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate is regarded as a clear top option by many talent evaluators, though there's speculation he could be picked by the New York Giants (No. 5), Cleveland Browns (No. 6), or Washington Commanders (No. 7).

Arizona State's Jordyn Tyson and USC's Makai Lemon are regarded as first-round wide receivers, but it appears both players' draft values have fallen for various reasons. Recently, Tyson has been the popular choice in mock drafts to go to New Orleans, although there's no question that Shough would be eager to add either of them to the Saints' offense.

There's also a very unlikely first-round scenario where the three receivers are selected consecutively at Nos. 5, 6, and 7. In that case, it would be wise for the Saints to focus on adding a wide receiver during Days 2 and 3 of the draft instead of reaching for one that isn't worth a top-10 pick.

Entering Day 2 of the draft, the Saints are heavily linked to Louisville wide receiver Chris Bell, a former teammate of Shough. Bell has repeatedly stated during the draft process that Shough has vouched for him to the Saints' front office and that he wants him in New Orleans.

Other wide receivers from Day 2 who would make sense given the Saints' position at No. 42 overall include Alabama's Germie Bernard and Clemson's Antonio Williams. The latter was a prospect many teams favored early in the draft evaluation period and was once seen as a possible late first-round pick. He's now ranked No. 69 by PFF, but teams still view him as a talented player.

The Saints also hold the 73rd pick in the third round on Day 2 and could target Georgia wide receiver Zachariah Branch (PFF No. 75) or Georgia State wide receiver Ted Hurst (PFF No. 97). As the draft approaches, Hurst is likely to see a rise in his rankings. He's a big, physical receiver who has been compared to Houston Texans star wide receiver Nico Collins.

New Orleans has five picks on Day 3 of the draft, including two in the fourth round. Some Day 3 wide receiver targets are Texas Tech's Reggie Virgil (PFF No. 130), USC's Ja'Kobi Lane (PFF No. 136), Missouri's Kevin Coleman (PFF No. 167), Georgia Tech's Eric Rivers (PFF No. 177), and John Carroll's Tyren Montgomery (PFF No. 214).

General manager Mickey Loomis and the Saints front office might also consider taking a chance on one of LSU's four draft-eligible wide receivers. Chris Hilton Jr., Barion Brown, and Aaron Anderson are three of the four players who have stood out during the draft process. Hilton participated in all four major All-Star games — the Hula Bowl, American Bowl, Shrine Bowl, and Senior Bowl — and earned an invite to the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, where he posted a 4.41-second 40-yard dash. The former four-star recruit from Zachary, Louisiana, would be a great hometown story for the Saints.