Saints Mocked To Select Big-Play WR With Hints of Amon-Ra St. Brown

Will the New Orleans Saints add some more firepower to the wide receiver room in the upcoming 2026 National Football League Draft?

In a perfect world, the answer to that question will be yes. The 2026 NFL Draft is just 22 days away from kicking off, as of writing. The Saints will be on the board at No. 8, barring a trade, in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft on April 23.

Wide receiver is the team's biggest roster hole right now and unsurprisingly, that has led analysts and insiders around the league to mock various receivers to the franchise seemingly each day at this point. On Tuesday, this trend continued with NFL.com's Lance Zierlein mocking USC wide receiver Makai Lemon to New Orleans.

"The Saints prioritize wideout over edge defender in this spot, grabbing the ultra-competitive Lemon to offer a high-volume option for Tyler Shough," Zierlein wrote.

The Saint should make this move

Nov 29, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans wide receiver Makai Lemon (6) celebrates with tight end Walker Lyons (85) after catching a 32-yard touchdown pass against the UCLA Bruins in the second half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Fans may not know much about Lemon at this point. Sure, his name has been connected to the Saints a lot at this point. But who is he, really? Lemon played three seasons at USC and got better each year. In 2023, he had six catches for 88 yards in nine games played. In 2024, he took a step forward with 52 catches for 764 yards and three touchdowns in 12 games with a bigger role. His role increased further in 2025 and unsurprisingly led to the best season of his college career. In 12 games he racked up 79 catches for 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns.

He's a safety blanket for whoever is under center. For the Saints, fortunately, they have Tyler Shough, who has all of the upside in the world. But Lemon is the type of receiver who runs good routes and somehow is always open. Zierlein compared him to Detroit Lions star Amon-Ra St. Brown.

"NFL Comparison: Amon-Ra St. Brown," Zierlein wrote. "High-skill, high-volume slot receiver with average size but extraordinary ball skills. Lemon has room for refinement, but not much. He’s intelligent, confident and polished with the ability to make plays on all three levels. Tempo-driven route-runner who misdirects man coverage and separates out of turns but is fairly average after the catch. Quicker than fast, featuring early acceleration to open seam throws but flashes late burst when needed."

The Saints already have a star on their hands in Chris Olave. He's an All-Pro and should be huge for this team for years to come. He's only under contract for one more season, but the two sides have been discussing a potential long-term contract extension.

The Saints should do everything possible to get a deal done. If the Saints could also land a player with the upside of St. Brown to pair with him, the offense will be set for years. A trio of Shough, Olave and Lemon could be just what New Orleans needs.