B-
New Orleans Saints
No fireworks, just a tidy B- for the Saints.
by Kenny proctor ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 8 picks
· 3 steals
· 3 reaches
Somewhere a scout is still blinking. The Saints spent slot 150 on Nadame Tucker, a name the board had a full 26 spots lower.
For all the activity, offensive lineman went untouched, which is hard to explain. The Neal steal is the beam this whole class leans on. 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 downhill hitter at safety at fair value. Need was not the driver here.
They took Lee Hunter at par in slot 42, which is nothing to complain about. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
They reached a country mile for De'Zhaun Stribling at the 73rd overall pick, and the board is aghast. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
They paid a round early for Cade Klubnik in the 132nd pick, more than the board wanted. A need, and now a little less of one.
Julian Neal at No. 136 is money in the bank, a cornerback taken below his worth. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
A real head-scratcher, Nadame Tucker in the Round 5 slot is miles ahead of his ranking. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Nice patience on Demond Claiborne, who had no business lasting to the 172nd pick. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Kaleb Elarms-Orr slipping to pick 190 is the kind of luck good rooms make for themselves. A minor need, but a need all the same.