Saints Late-Round Draft Picks Who Have Best Shot to Make the Roster

The New Orleans Saints – by most accounts – had one heck of an NFL Draft. Although most of the chatter surrounds wide receiver Jordyn Tyson, who we know likely will be in the starting lineup on Day 1 of training camp, there are other picks who could find themselves becoming key members of the team.

Second-round pick Christen Miller fills a need on the inside of the defensive line, and the Saints clearly are trying to work their way up from 19th in the league in defending the run. Tight end Oscar Delp will play plenty in two-tight end sets and could beat out Noah Fant for the TE2 spot.

However, we need to ask the question: Of the rest of the picks, which ones have the best chance of making this team? Here we’ll go through each of them and give your early prediction on what role – if any they will play.

Jeremiah Wright, G (4th round)

It was pretty clear from the get-go that Wright (6-5, 331) is likely a player who isn’t quite NFL ready, but one who has the size and talent to work his way into a starting lineup before too long.

POWERFUL: New #Saints OL Jeremiah Wright’s mom gave him a motivational speech after being drafted.

“You put on for your city… this been your time! You got this!”

Doesn’t get better than this ❤️❤️ pic.twitter.com/zjC71zcNEC
— MLFootball (@MLFootball) April 25, 2026

On a team without a ton of quality depth, Wright was welcomed in by many a Who Dat. Right guard Cesar Ruiz is not a fan favorite, but he clearly enters the offseason as not only as the incumbent at right guard, but he almost certainly will be the starter there when the Saints kick the 2026 season off on Sept. 13.

That bodes well for Wright, but there’s little chance the team would consider putting a fourth-round, raw guard in there as a starter without a plethora of injuries.

OUTLOOK: At best, Wright is a depth piece in 2026 and will be competing with the likes of former fourth-round pick Nick Saldiveri and a couple other players for a spot on the roster. His best chance to make the active roster is if the team gives up on oft-injured Saldiveri.

At worst, the team would try to skate him onto the practice squad.

Bryce Lance, WR (4th round)

Of all the players drafted after Round 3, there’s little doubt Lance (6-4, 204) has the best chance to make an immediate impact.

He has a ridiculous amount of raw talent and physical skills, and he comes in at the position that likely is the biggest need – certainly on offense. If Lance even is close to NFL ready, the Saints will find a place to put him. His biggest competition to become WR3 is Devaughn Velé, who caught 25 passes for 293 yards in 13 games last season after coming over in a trade from Denver.

Trey Lance's brother WR Bryce Lance runs a 4.34u

2026 NFL Combine on @nflnetwork
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/xyl4IHd0QY
— NFL (@NFL) February 28, 2026

Also, the team will want to see what they have in Ja’Lynn Polk, whom they got from New England but spent 2025 on injured reserve with a shoulder injury, and Trey Palmer, a New Orleans-area native who was acquired off waivers from Tampa Bay.

OUTLOOK: Unlike Wright, Lance doesn’t seem like a player who would have a chance to make it to the practice squad without being claimed, so there’s an excellent chance the Saints have to find a place for him on the 53-man roster.

Also, if he beats out the aforementioned Polk and Palmer – without even mentioning other receivers like Mason Tipton, Kevin Austin and Bub Means – he could find his way into the lineup earlier rather than later.

Lorenzo Styles, DB (5th round)

From the second Styles was drafted, this seems like either a candidate for the practice squad or a special teamer, which is the main reason why he was drafted.

OUTLOOK: Interestingly, Styles might be the fastest guy on this football team, having run a 4.27-40 at the combine. That alone leads to him having a better chance than not to be on the final 53, but again for special teams only.

Barion Brown, WR (6th round)

Speaking of special teams, here’s your No. 1 candidate to be the kickoff and punt returner for the Saints on Day 1. His top competition is the aforementioned Tipton.

Brown’s speed gives him a real shot, but he will need to prove he can do more than return kicks. At LSU in his senior season, he caught 53 passes for 532 yards with just one TD, but it’s possible those numbers are skewed a bit because starting quarterback Garrett Nussmeier was injured all season and them missed the last month.

Filling out my Barion Brown apology form https://t.co/JOIUsWLHVL pic.twitter.com/3sIqhcq7Sg
— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) January 29, 2026

OUTLOOK: You can’t tech speed and Brown has that. However, unless he just goes nuts in camp, he is more likely a prime candidate for the practice squad. But, if someone were to write a similar post in 2022, they probably would have said the same about Rashid Shaheed, who wasn’t even drafted.

Yes, the same Shaheed who played a key role in the playoffs for the Super Bowl-champion Seattle Seahawks, and who is now making about $17 million per year.

TJ Hall, CB, (7th round)

The Saints haven’t had a seventh-round pick start more than two games in a season in 20 years (Marques Colston), but the good news for Hall is that last player who started two games was last year’s pick in the round: TE Moliki Matavao.

There’s little question Hall (6-1, 189) is a need player, and he will have an opportunity to make the team in camp.

OUTLOOK: Although Hall had plenty of collegiate experience – playing in 42 games at Iowa – he only started 18 of those games.

It’s tough to think he is anything else than a candidate for the practice squad.

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