Where Saints Stand In Race For No. 1 Pick After Panthers Win

The New Orleans Saints had a big weekend...

Dec 23, 2024; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; General view of a New Orleans Saints helmet during the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

The New Orleans Saints earned their second win of the season on Sunday when they took on the NFC South rival Carolina Panthers.

It was a good day overall for New Orleans. Tyler Shough showed significant upside in just his second NFL start. On top of this, the Saints snapped a four-game losing streak to improve to 2-8.

At this point of the season, it's appropriate to start looking ahead. For some teams, that means the playoff picture. But, for others, that is draft pick watching. For New Orleans, it is more on the draft pick side of the spectrum rather than any idea of making a run at a playoff spot. Before the Week 10 win, the Saints had the inside track to the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Now, that is different after one win. The Saints won and the Tennessee Titans didn't play. Tennessee is the only team in the NFL right now with just one win now with the Saints and New York Jets both winning on Sunday and therefore has the inside track to the No. 1 overall pick. The Saints would have the No. 2 pick now if the season were to end today.

The Saints are going to have a shot at a high draft pick

Oct 12, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Crucial Catch signage is seen on the helmet of New Orleans Saints center Erik McCoy (78) during the first quarter against the New England Patriots at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Tennessee has back-to-back tough matchups coming over the next two weeks as well against the Houston Texans and Seattle Seahawks, so that record isn't likely to improve over that span. New Orleans has a Week 11 bye week and then will face a beatable Atlanta Falcons team in Week 12.

If Shough can play the way he did on Sunday throughout the rest of the season, there's reason to believe that the Saints could have a few more wins up their sleeve. New Orleans' second-half schedule is light, including a matchup against Tennessee.

Over the last few weeks, there was a lot of chatter about the No. 1 pick and who the Saints should take with it. But, all it takes is just one win to change that discussion. This will be worth watching each week from here on out. At the end of the day, the most important thing is getting the quarterback right. If Shough is the guy, getting the No. 1 pick will be less important.

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