Keep track of the latest NFL mock drafts to find out which prospects the experts think the New Orleans Saints will pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Part of the Saints Path to the Draft presented by Cox.
Saints Mock Drafts for 2026 NFL Draft
Out of 52 mock drafts tracked from March 23 - March 29, wide receiver was once again the most frequently mocked position to the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, followed closely by edge rusher.
Carnell Tate and David Bailey were the most mocked players to the Saints this week, with Mansoor Delane, Rueben Bain Jr., Jordyn Tyson, Makai Lemon, and Caleb Downs also appearing on a lot of Saints mock drafts. See the most commonly mocked players to the Saints in the later rounds.
| Player | 3/23-3/29 | 3/16-3/22 | 3/9-3/15 | 3/2-3/8 | Pre-Combine | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carnell Tate (WR, Ohio State) | 9 | 11 | 10 | 23 | 29 | 82 |
| David Bailey (Edge, Texas Tech) | 9 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 12 | 36 |
| Mansoor Delane (CB, LSU) | 8 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 21 |
| Rueben Bain Jr. (Edge, Miami) | 7 | 8 | 11 | 4 | 9 | 39 |
| Jordyn Tyson (WR, Arizona St.) | 6 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 35 | 51 |
| Makai Lemon (WR, USC) | 5 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 20 | 42 |
| Caleb Downs (S, Ohio State) | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 14 |
| Sonny Styles (LB, Ohio State) | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 13 |
| Omar Cooper Jr. (WR, Indiana) | 1 (Pick 32) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jeremiyah Love (RB, Notre Dame) | 0 | 0 | 4 | 13 | 51 | 68 |
These are the positions NFL draft analysts most commonly mock to the Saints with their 1st round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
| Position | 3/23-3/29 | 3/16-3/22 | 3/9-3/15 | 3/2-3/8 | Pre-Combine | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WR | 21 | 22 | 15 | 34 | 84 | 155 |
| Edge | 16 | 17 | 15 | 7 | 26 | 65 |
| CB | 8 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 15 |
| S | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 9 |
| LB | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 11 |
| RB | 0 | 0 | 4 | 13 | 51 | 68 |
| DT | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 5 |
| OT/OG | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| TE | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Top 3 Most Mocked Players to Saints (March 23 - March 29)
T-1st. Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State
Times Mocked to Saints (3/23-3/29): 9 (82 Total)
Experts Who Mocked Carnell Tate to the Saints
"New Orleans' No. 8 pick feels like a major pivot point in this draft, with wide receiver and edge rusher standing out as co-favorite paths. I gave the Saints Tate here because he fits Kellen Moore's stated desire for a diverse receiver room while giving Tyler Shough an ideal complement to Chris Olave. Not to mention, Tate has a clear team connection, given that Saints brass dined with Ohio State's top prospects before the Buckeyes' pro day." -Band
"The New Orleans Saints need to get deeper at wide receiver in the NFL Draft. After bolstering the backfield with Travis Etienne, the Saints give Tyler Shough another weapon and take Carnell Tate, who has a George Pickens-like skillset." -Scataglia
"No longer weighed down by having to balance their books, the Saints got aggressive in fortifying their offense with running back Travis Etienne Jr. and offensive guard David Edwards. That effort won't be complete, however, until the team finds another true weapon to put alongside Chris Olave. Tate can make life significantly easier for second-year signal-caller Tyler Shough with his reliable route-running and knack for coming down with contested catches." -Middlehurst-Schwartz
"Ascending "Z" receiver who continues to step out from the shadow of Ohio State teammate Jeremiah Smith. Tate has good size but would benefit from more play strength. He builds momentum quickly on intermediate and deep routes, utilizing speed and tempo to pressure cornerbacks. He can win over the top on verticals or separate over the first two levels with route savvy and separation burst. Tate tracks throws at top speed and makes his adjustments to run under them. He combines timing, body control and catch radius to dominate air space and consistently lands on the winning side of contested catches. Pass catching comes effortlessly with soft, strong hands and he consistently works back on throws to keep ballhawks from hawking. Tate displays rare polish for a player his age and has the talent to become a heralded pro within his first three seasons."
T-1st. David Bailey, Edge, Texas Tech
Times Mocked to Saints (3/23-3/29): 9 (36 Total)
Experts Who Mocked David Bailey to the Saints
"If you want an impact playmaker off the edge, look no further than Bailey. With 23 tackles for loss and 14.5 sacks last season, Bailey was unstoppable thanks to his first-step quickness and relentless pursuit skills...Bailey's burst is the best in the class and will be an ideal fit in Brandon Staley's defense. The Saints could also go wide receiver or corner here, but Bailey would represent great value at this pick." -Miller
"I thought about giving the Saints a receiver here, considering their suspect depth beyond Chris Olave, but the value of getting a top edge rusher prospect at this point is just hard to pass up. Bailey is a tough pass rusher to defend due to his elusiveness and body control. He's a little smaller than teams may like, but the upside is there as a potential Pro Bowler." -Bouda
"Bailey could go as high as No. 2 overall, but this is a reasonable scenario that leaves him on the board here. Even if Cam Jordan ends up returning for another year, New Orleans needs to invest in the next generation of their pass rush, and Bailey would be a fantastic step in that direction." -Easterling
"If Bailey's available, I think he's the pick here. NFL teams covet guys who get home as pass rushers, and there's no more proven commodity in that regard than Bailey; last year, he led the nation with 14.5 sacks, was second nationally with 19.5 TFL, and had a pass rush win rate of 21.6 percent, second in the class behind Rueben Bain Jr. (23.5 percent). He's not a perfect prospect, though. The questions about Bailey's run defense are legitimate—he has a linear build, gets pushed around at the point of attack too easily at times, and doesn't always play with ideal gap discipline—but there's enough upside to justify the selection. While getting QB Tyler Shough a young playmaker on the perimeter opposite Chris Olave is a priority, it will have to wait until Round 2, when there should be plenty of options available from an exceptionally deep WR class." -McShay
"Bailey is extremely hard for linemen to stay in front of. He moves like a slashing two guard, blending explosiveness and fluidity to slip, bend and flow around blocks from multiple angles. His leverage and lower-body flexion create game-over scenarios once he reaches pocket depth with even a minor lead. He can be stalled when a blocker latches his hands in deep, but Bailey's elusiveness and suddenness make clean clamps a relative rarity. He's instinctive with natural mid-rush counters, but he must continue developing hand usage and crafting rush plans for when protection shifts his way. Teams can run at Bailey due to his lack of anchor and take-on presence, but his work-around quickness will also lead to tackles for loss. His draft grade is slightly tempered by a lack of desired size/length, but the explosiveness and athletic talent is truly elite. His sack production should carry over to the NFL as an odd-front rush linebacker with Pro Bowl upside."
3. Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU
Times Mocked to Saints (3/23-3/29): 8 (21 Total)
Experts Who Mocked Mansoor Delane to the Saints
"Mansoor Delane crushed his LSU Pro Day with a blazing 4.35-second 40-yard dash. That's on top of leading the SEC with a 24.1 passer rating allowed when targeted, the best mark in the conference among 82 players with at least 30 targets. Saints general manager Mickey Loomis had an extended chat with Delane at the Pro Day, and he keeps Delane in Louisiana to beef up his secondary." -Podell
"Winning four of their last five games may have hurt their draft positioning, but that's a trade-off the New Orleans Saints will take, considering the growth that Tyler Shough displayed. Now sitting with the No. 8 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, they're no longer in need of a quarterback early, which really opens up more options for them in Round 1. With an allowed passer rating of just 26.7 in 2025, Mansoor Delane was a shutdown cornerback for LSU all year. He's my top corner in the 2026 NFL Draft because of his instincts in coverage, impressive fluidity in space, competitiveness at the catch point, and his physicality as a tackler." -Infante
"The Saints take the first cornerback off the board. Their preferred coverage scheme in 2025 was Cover 3, and so was LSU's. Delane played 90 snaps in a deep-third zone role, finishing the season with a 76.8 PFF zone coverage grade. Additionally, Delane was the best man-coverage cornerback of the class in 2025. He played man coverage on 42.3% of his coverage snaps and en route to an 89.1 PFF coverage grade, which ranks first in the draft class." -Plocher
