Saints 2026 NFL Draft: Where New Orleans is projected to pick entering rivalry matchup, potential needs, and intriguing WR prospects

The New Orleans Saints are entering their first matchup with the Atlanta Falcons of the season so far. While the Saints are coming off a bye, the Falcons will be shorthanded after their fifth loss in a row. ATL is expected to be without both quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and top wide receiver Drake London.

Kellen Moore's team still sits at 2-8, so the 2026 NFL Draft is certainly on their radar for the remainder of this season.

Saints sit at fourth overall pick after ten games played

New Orleans is currently projected to have the fourth overall selection in next year’s draft. They dropped a couple of spots during the bye week, sitting behind the Tennessee Titans, New York Giants, and Cleveland Browns. The Saints will face the Atlanta Falcons in Week 12. Atlanta has lost five game in a row entering the rivalry matchup.

Top 3 needs for Saints roster after eleven weeks of play

Quarterback: Shough’s performance in Week 10 alleviated some heavy pressure on the young starter. That being said, the finish to the season will determine how the franchise navigates the QB position in the upcoming offseason. 

Pass Rusher: The pass rush for New Orleans has been one of the worst in the NFL over the past two seasons. They consistently struggled to bring down opposing quarterbacks, even when generating pressures. Chase Young is the only pass rusher who is performing on passing downs recently, and New Orleans needs to upgrade that room in the offseason. Cam Jordan may also retire, creating more depth concerns. 

Wide Receiver: Rashid Shaheed is in Seattle, and the depth is lacking behind Chris Olave at wideout for New Orleans. The Saints have had discussions about a contract extension with Olave, too. Devaughn Vele should grab a larger role for the remainder of this season, and I am intrigued to see him play. That being said, the upside is capped in the WR room. That’s been an issue since the Sean Payton days and still rages on with Kellen Moore in his first season. 

Potential wide receiver fits for the Saints in 2026 NFL Draft

I talked about some of the realistic candidates for New Orleans to take with their second pick in the 2026 NFL Draft with Rob Gregson. He picked out a couple impressive prospects that he could see playing for Kellen Moore in the future.

"Two WR prospects that are somewhere in that late round one to mid round two range, who I believe the Saints and Kellen Moore would love, are Ja'Kobi Lane of USC and Germie Bernard of Alabama. But here is the kicker, they are very different players, who both complement Chris Olave and fill a void. With Lane, you have a big-bodied WR that climbs the ladder and takes the ball off defenders' helmets. He is a vertical stretch player, but someone who has the catch point ability that Olave may be lacking. 

And with Bernard, you have what is essentially a Deebo Samuel archetype. Not the biggest nor the fastest, but he makes so many plays over the middle of the field, after the catch, and even out of the backfield. He's an easy button for a quarterback and someone whom you can easily manufacture touches for. I like both of these players in New Orleans." -- Rob Gregson, A to Z Sports

With these sort of options available potentially on day two, New Orleans needs to h ave their eye out on adding pass catching talent for whoever is playing quarterback next season and beyond.

This story was originally reported by A to Z Sports on Nov 18, 2025, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add A to Z Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.