2026 New Orleans Saints NFL Mock Draft – More Needs Than Answers

The New Orleans Saints are dealing with the repercussions of Mickey Loomis trying to keep this team competitive for too long. They’re spending a weird amount of money on a 35-year-old gadget player, their line on both sides of the ball has been a letdown, and they need a serious course adjustment to compete in the NFC South. This Saints mock draft can get them started on the right course, but there are still needs all over this team.

2026 New Orleans Saints NFL Mock Draft – More Needs Than Answers

Round 1 – Fernando Mendoza, Indiana Hoosiers Quarterback

Mendoza is QB1, and it’s really a two or three-man race at this point. Despite early showings from Spencer Rattler and Tyler Shough, the organization needs someone to rally around. Mendoza can make the pieces around him look better than they are, and can navigate a pocket even when it’s falling apart around him. Two things the Saints need in their next signal caller.

The Case for Fernando Mendoza as QB1

Round 2 – Olaivavega Ioane, Penn State Guard

A 6’4″, 328-pound people mover. Ioane can immediately improve the passing game with a steady presence on the inside, and he shows flashes of a difference maker in the run game. He’s a meat-and-potatoes player the Saints need to try to shore up some of their offensive deficiencies.

Round 3 – Trevor Goosby, Texas Left Tackle

Goosby has some flexibility after rotating between left and right tackle as a redshirt freshman, and he has exactly the frame you want in a tackle prospect. 6’7″, 312 pounds, and surprisingly light on his feet for a big fella. His biggest issue will be his pad height on run blocking plays, but you can live with that from an athletic freak with limited starting experience. He wouldn’t start for the team right away, but he can provide flexibility at either tackle and has the upside to be the best player on their line in a couple of years.

Round 4 – Hollywood Smothers, NC State Running Back

Kendre Miller has been a disappointment, and Devin Neal is more of a grinder than a playmaker. With Alvin Kamara starting to show signs of slowing down, a late, cheap option at running back can provide some excitement for the offense. Stacking one side of the ball with playmakers can help the team build an identity, something the Saints have lacked for years.

Round 5 – David Oke, Arkansas Interior Defensive Lineman

Oke is stout, strong, and a tone-setter on run downs. Will he ever get more than five sacks in a season? Probably not. But he can rotate in on rushing downs and make an impact in short-yardage situations, which is the kind of role player that teams hope to find in the later rounds of drafts.

Round 6 – Jayce Brown, Kansas State Wide Receiver

With Rashid Shaheed an unrestricted free agent in 2026, the Saints might need another deep threat on the outside. Brown offers plenty of speed on the outside and can help give Mendoza another option than Olave and Juwan Johnson.