B-
New Orleans Saints
The Saints let Demmings fall and pounced. Final grade: B-.
by jzaNe1949 ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 8 picks
· 3 steals
· 2 reaches
When a board-topper like Charles Demmings slides to the 172nd pick, you do not overthink it, and the Saints did not.
That offensive lineman hole did not close this weekend, and it was the biggest one on the wall. Every board in the league had Reiger lower, and that gap is the story.
The roster is better shaped than it was, with edge rusher chief among the fixes.
Good work on the whole, with offensive lineman the one box left unchecked.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick No. 8 they get a rangy last line of defense at fair value. Need was not the driver here.
No edge and no loss on Lee Hunter in the Round 2 slot; it is a wash and a sensible one. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
A slide stopped in pick 73, with Zachariah Branch worth more than the price. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
They read the board right and Jack Endries was the payoff at Round 4, Pick 32. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Mason Reiger in the 136th pick is early enough to raise a brow, if not a full objection. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
They liked Drew Allar enough to skip the value, taking him in No. 150. It fills a real need, too.
A top-tier cornerback at a bargain, Charles Demmings in the 172nd overall pick, plain and simple. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
No drama and no debate, J'Mari Taylor went about where he belonged in slot 190. The roster fit checks out.