One Thing the New Orleans Saints Cannot Afford to Get Wrong in the NFL Draft

With such a swirl of positivity around the emergence of quarterback Tyler Shough with the New Orleans Saints, it sometimes is easy to forget the team has not won more than six games since the 2023 season, and they have had a winning record just once since Sean Payton abruptly left the organization in January 2022.

And while some may doubt General Manager Mickey Loomis, Senior VP and Asst. GM Jeff Ireland and the staff of the Saints keep might forget that heading into Thursday’s first round of the NFL Draft, the fact they have had what appear to be two very solid drafts in a row says something different.

With that out of the way, we ask the question: What is the one thing the Saints cannot afford to get wrong in this draft – at least early on?

The answer seems to be easy: Don’t get caught up in the last six games of the 2025 season and remember there’s still plenty of work to do. In other words, the Saints cannot afford to draft whatever player is the best available unless it’s a player of need.

Maybe it’s easier to rank the positions of need and narrow down the first-round choices to three positions with a fourth less likely, but possible. In order:

Wide receiver

Behind Chris Olave, there literally is no one this team can count on to catch passes from Shough on a regular basis from the wideout position. That’s unless you’re counting on Devaughn Vele or Ja’Lynn Polk, who were both received in a trade last year – Vele played a bit and Polk was injured.

And Bub Means, a fifth-round pick in 2024, or Trey Palmer, who was claimed off waivers before last year – both of whom were injured all season? Not as WR2.

So unless the plan is to have tight end Juwan Johnson serve as your second option at receiver – as he did last year – this is priority No. 1.

That means Carnell Tate and Jordyn Tyson have to be high atop the wish list.

Defensive back

With Alontae Taylor signing with Tennessee and a lack of depth there before he left, this is certainly a position of need. The question is: Do you target this spot on Day 1 or Day 2.

What it comes down to is whether Ohio State’s Caleb Downs is available or whether administration thinks LSU’s Mansoor Delane is worth the eighth pick (assuming the team remains there).

Edge rusher

While this isn’t as great a need as some make it out to be with Chase Young, Carl Granderson and – still possibly – longtime great Cameron Jordan coming back in 2026, it will be a need early in this draft.

If the team decides it wants to go here on Day 1, Miami’s Rueben Bain could be a possibility.

Running back

Some will say, “What are you talking about? They just signed Travis Etienne!” Truth is, Etienne is a player who needs not only a complementary player to go with him, Saints coach Kellen Moore is going to need that, as well, to help take the pressure off his young quarterback.

There has been no confirmation Alvin Kamara will be – or wants to be – an RB2, and this will be a spot the Saints likely target early.

The dream scenario is for the team to trade up with Cleveland and grab Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love at No. 6. However, there are several Day 2 possibilities.

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