Saints Linked To Penn State Star But Likely Won't Happen

The New Orleans Saints have plenty of roster holes to fill...

Nov 16, 2013; University Park, PA, USA; General view of a Penn State Nittany Lions helmet prior to the game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images | Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

We're past the midway point of the 2025 National Football League season.

There's still a lot of the season left, but unless something wild happens, the New Orleans Saints will not be in the playoffs this year. New Orleans is 1-8 on the season and has the worst record in the NFC overall. For the Saints, the rest of the season should be focused on development and determining the team's biggest needs for the future, especially in the 2026 National Football League Draft.

New Orleans would have the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft if the season ended today. But, what are the Saints' biggest needs right now? There's questions at quarterback, but New Orleans named Tyler Shough as the starter last week. He could be a solution. Bleacher Report's scouting department shared a column highlighting each team's biggest needs and solutions. For the Saints, they had receiver as the Saints' top need followed by guard and cornerback. Penn State offensive lineman Olaivavega Ioane was floated as the top fit at guard.

"Draft Needs: Wide Receiver, Guard, Cornerback," Bleacher Report said. "Top G Fits on B/R Big Board: Olaivavega Ioane, Penn State (No. 24), Emmanuel Pregnon, Oregon (No. 45), Brian Parker II, Duke (No. 72). While guard was discussed previously for the Saints, there have been a few risers on B/R's big board since then."

The Saints should have a high pick in the 2026 NFL Draft

Oct 5, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints head coach Kellen Moore walks along the sideline during the game against the New York Giants during the second quarter at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

Ioane would be an intriguing fit for the Saints, but not where the team currently sits in the standings. CBS Sports has Ioane as the No. 16 overall prospect in the 2026 draft class. Pro Football Focus has him as the No. 31 overall prospect in the draft class.

The idea of improving the guard position isn't a bad one, especially because the Saints just traded away Trevor Penning. Ioane even could be a guy that helps, but if New Orleans continues playing the way it has this season, it will have arguably too high of a pick to select him, unless it trades down or back into the first round.

Earlier in the season there was chatter about who could fit the Saints in the 2026 NFL Draft, but it was much too premature. Now, all eyes are going to be on draft positioning the rest of the way. If the Saints land the No. 1 pick, it would be good to use it on a defensive star, like edge Rueben Bain Jr. out of Miami or safety Caleb Downs out of Ohio State, or potentially a quarterback. Guard is a need, but not with where the Saints are currently projected to be.

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