New Orleans Saints 2026 NFL Season Preview

Offense

Everything hinges upon whether Shough is truly the answer for this team, and the Saints devoted a lot of resources to this side of the ball to find that out.

The Saints had one of the least explosive groups of running backs in the NFL last season. Five running backs carried the ball for New Orleans last season, and they combined for 20 carries of 10 yards or more. Enter Travis Etienne Jr., who signed a $52 million free-agent deal to add some juice to the ground attack. Etienne has recorded at least 22 runs of 10-plus yards in three of his four seasons.

By the time last season ended, the Saints were effectively employing a group of street free-agent pass-catchers. They used the draft to increase their stable of quality targets, selecting Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson with the No. 8 overall pick and adding two developmental players with high ceilings — Georgia tight end Oscar Delp and North Dakota State receiver Bryce Lance — in the later rounds.

Those players should complement what New Orleans already has on its roster. Receiver Chris Olave proved he could stay healthy (outside of missing the final game with a blood clot) and turned in an All-Pro season. Devaughn Vele came along slowly after the Saints acquired him in a trade before the start of the season, but he displayed a nice connection with Shough until a shoulder injury ended his season. Tight end Juwan Johnson had his long-awaited breakout (77 receptions, 889 yards, plus-32.8 receiving EPA) and will now pair with veteran free-agent signee Noah Fant.

And, critically, the Saints shored up their last weak link on the offensive line by signing left guard David Edwards to a $61 million free-agent deal. He joins a group that includes promising first-round tackles Kelvin Banks Jr. and Taliese Fuaga, along with Pro Bowl center Erik McCoy and right guard Cesar Ruiz.

The key for the offensive line — which is true around the league — is health. When he’s on the field, McCoy is a true difference-maker. But injuries have limited McCoy to seven games each of the past two years.

The Saints have surrounded Shough with the firepower to maximize his development. If he is not able to carry over his strong finish from his rookie season, the Saints will know it’s not because he didn’t have enough around him.

Defense

The first season under defensive coordinator Brandon Staley’s direction went as well as anyone could have reasonably expected. Staley took almost the exact same personnel from the season before and molded it to his 3-4 base defense to great effect.

After bottoming out in the final year of the Dennis Allen era, the Saints’ defense ranked 11th in EPA per play (minus-.09). They limited big plays in the passing game (allowing just 179.9 yards per game) and finished the season with the NFL’s No. 3 run defense by EPA per play (minus-.10).

Staley got the most out of pass-rusher Chase Young, who recorded his first double-digit sack season despite missing the first five games with a calf injury. New Orleans also got positive contributions from several members of its rookie class, including mid-round picks Jonas Sanker and Quincy Riley, who took over as starters in the secondary early in the year.

Now Staley and Co. need to figure out how to take another step forward without as much proven talent. Two of the Saints’ better defensive players, slot corner Alontae Taylor and linebacker Demario Davis, signed rich free-agent deals elsewhere. New Orleans will feel Davis’ departure acutely, as the veteran had not only played at a high level for the better part of a decade but was also a core leader in the locker room.

The Saints signed Kaden Elliss to help offset Davis’ loss. Elliss was originally a Saints draft pick and is returning from Atlanta, where he topped 100 tackles and three sacks in each of his three seasons there. He is almost seven years younger than Davis and may add more in specific areas — especially as a pass-rusher — but the Saints will still have to replace Davis’ on-field leadership and coverage ability.

Taylor’s spot may prove more difficult to fill. In Staley’s defense, Taylor played the “Star” position, which comes with more responsibility than a traditional nickel corner. New Orleans may try veteran Julian Blackmon in the role after he impressed during training camp in 2025, but Blackmon has also missed most of the past two seasons with shoulder issues.

The Saints made a couple of rotational additions, using a second-round pick on Georgia defensive tackle Christen Miller to add physicality up front and sending a 2026 fifth-rounder to Las Vegas for edge Tyree Wilson, the seventh overall pick in 2023.

This is a unit that lost more than it gained — but it received good news in June when

franchise pillar Cameron Jordan, the eight-time Pro Bowl defensive end, announced he was returning for one final season. Entering his 16th NFL season, Jordan has a franchise-record 132.0 career sacks, including 10.5 in 2025.

Specialists

The Saints have spent the last several years going into the season with an undrafted or untested player at punter. After years of subpar performance at the spot, they finally gave up on the dice rolls and spent on the position, signing former Minnesota Vikings punter Ryan Wright.

The real question is at placekicker. Native Irishman Charlie Smyth had never kicked an American football prior to the 2024 season, but he’s got an extremely powerful kicking leg and he offers intriguing upside as long as he can find consistency. Smyth hit 12 of his 16 field-goal attempts last season with a long of 57 and has made them from 70 in practice.

Final Analysis

Shough started only nine games as a rookie and still finished as the Offensive Rookie of the Year runner-up. Now he has a full offseason as the guy at quarterback — and the expectations that come with that.

If Shough is an improved version of the player he was in 2025, he could lead an improved Saints roster back into legitimate playoff contention. Shough showed all the requisite traits as a rookie to make that real: He’s big, athletic and he can throw accurately and on time to every part of the field.

But nine starts are not enough to provide a definitive answer on whether Shough is the franchise quarterback. The 2026 Saints season — and what comes next — will all boil down to that question.