Ohio State Star Lands With Saints In 2026 NFL Mock Draft

The New Orleans Saints are a team playing with some serious juice right now.

Despite the fact that the Saints have been eliminated from playoff contention for a bit at this point, New Orleans now is on its first winning streak of the season with potential for more to come. The Saints boast back-to-back wins over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers and now will face off against the 3-11 New York Jets at home on Sunday. After that, the Saints will face the 2-12 Tennessee Titans and the 5-9 Atlanta Falcons to end the season.

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With the way the Saints have been playing, they realistically could win all three of these games, or at least of three. Tyler Shough is 3-3 as the Saints' starting quarterback and has made his case to be the team's starting quarterback beyond this season.

The Saints should go defense in the first round

Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood (19) runs against Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese (8) during the first half at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

If the Saints opt against selecting a quarterback in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft -- which they should -- who would be a good pick? Pro Football Focus' Max Chadwick shared an intriguing mock draft that had Ohio State linebacker Arvell Reese dropping to New Orleans at No. 7.

"No. 7. New Orleans Saints: LB Arvell Reese, Ohio State," Chadwick wrote. "The Saints desperately need a young cornerstone in their front seven, with linebacker Demario Davis and edge defender Cameron Jordan nearing the ends of their careers. They find one here in Reese, a versatile defender capable of playing both linebacker and edge, similar to last year’s first-round selections Abdul Carter and Jalon Walker. Reese’s eight sacks are tied for fourth among all linebackers nationally, and he’s paired that production with an impressive 84.5 PFF run-defense grade."

When the draft gets here, if Reese is on the board when the Saints are picking, he would be a perfect fit. He's a hybrid linebacker who has drawn comparisons to Green Bay Packers star Micah Parsons.

Reese has played 13 games this season and has 62 total tackles -- including 10 for a loss -- and 6 1/2 sacks. The upside is massive. Imagine a pass rush featuring a prospect compared to Parsons, plus Chase Young and Cameron Jordan, and Demario Davis, if they stick around? That would be something.

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