B-
New Orleans Saints
The Saints cashed the board's mistake on Rivers: B-.
by R Connor ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 8 picks
· 2 steals
· 0 reaches
Somehow the biggest item on the list survived the weekend. The Saints never addressed edge rusher, and it is the kind of gap that lingers.
The Rivers value carries more weight than any single miss elsewhere. The roster is better shaped than it was, with wide receiver chief among the fixes.
Nearly every premium pick went to that side of the ball.
All told, a draft that does its job without fuss, and there is real value in that.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 8th overall pick they get a centerfielder for the defense at fair value. More want than need.
Chris Bell at slot 42 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Christen Miller at the 73rd pick is money in the bank, a interior defensive lineman taken below his worth. A need, and now a little less of one.
Fair-plus on Joe Royer, a quiet win that adds up over a draft. The roster fit checks out.
Harold Perkins Jr. in the Round 4 slot is exactly on the number, no argument either way. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.
No drama and no debate, Zxavian Harris went about where he belonged in pick No. 150. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Tanner Koziol at slot 172 is a sound buy, the sort that quietly helps a class. It fills a real need, too.
A wide receiver of that caliber at pick No. 190 is the definition of value, full stop. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.