Jan 8, 2026; Glendale, AZ, USA; Miami Hurricanes defensive lineman Rueben Bain Jr. (4) against the Mississippi Rebels during the 2026 Fiesta Bowl and semifinal game of the College Football Playoff at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

NFL Draft Buzz: New Orleans Saints' Dream Scenario Revealed

Originally posted on New Orleans Saints on SI
By Zach Pressnell | Last updated Apr 3, 2026 8:25 PM ET

The New Orleans Saints have been going through a rebuild for the last year after Derek Carr opted to retire last offseason. They pivoted to Tyler Shough in the 2025 NFL Draft as their franchise quarterback. Following this addition, the Saints started Spencer Rattler at quarterback for the first half of the season, before turning to Shough, which resulted in a handful of wins down the stretch.

This offseason, the Saints have made a few moves in the right direction. They added Travis Etienne, David Edwards, and Noah Fant to their offense in free agency. They also added Kaden Elliss on defense to replace Demario Davis.

Next, they need to hit the jackpot in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Saints need to hit a home run in the NFL draft

The Saints hold the No. 8 pick in the NFL draft, and there are plenty of prospects whom they could target with this selection. They could also land an impact player in the second round.

The Jets need to find a wide receiver and an edge rusher, among other positions. The Saints are struggling with wide receiver depth as is, while one of their best edge rushers hit free agency this offseason and hasn't been re-signed.

Bleacher Report's Alex Ballentine recently suggested the Saints' dream NFL draft scenario would be landing one of the top edge rushers at pick No. 8 to replace Cameron Jordan. The top three edge rushers in the NFL draft are seemingly Arvell Reese, David Bailey, and Rueben Bain Jr., likely in that order.

What's the Saints' dream NFL draft scenario?

"It's easy. It would be a dream come true if the Saints could land one of the top edge-rushers at No. 8 to replace Cameron Jordan. They land Rueben Bain Jr. in our most recent mock draft."

Replacing Jordan should be one of the Saints' top priorities. While I believe it would be in their best interest to re-sign the veteran edge rusher, it doesn't seem like that's their plan.

As a result, landing an impact edge rusher at pick No. 8 is the dream.

The true dream is landing David Bailey out of Texas Tech. He's universally seen as the best pure edge rusher in the draft. He's expected to go somewhere in the top six of the draft, though.

There's a much better chance the Saints could land Rueben Bain Jr. out of Miami. Bain has the potential to be a superstar and would be the perfect replacement for Jordan for the Saints. Landing one of these two would push the team in the right direction.

This article first appeared on New Orleans Saints on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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