B-
New Orleans Saints
Nothing loud, just a tidy B- for the Saints.
by GBDitka ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 3 steals
· 3 reaches
Nobody else had Patrick Payton anywhere near pick 172. The Saints did, by 76 spots, and that gap is the whole story. Solid and sensible more than spectacular: a B-.
Getting Washington Jr. where they did is the sort of value that quietly makes a class. They will regret leaving quarterback for another day if the season turns on it. They went 6 of 8 on their needs, which is most of what a draft is for.
Nearly every premium pick went to that side of the ball.
In short, they left a little better than they arrived, which is the whole idea.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 8th overall pick they get a green-dot type in the middle at fair value. More want than need.
No edge and no loss on Chris Bell in pick No. 42; it is a wash and a sensible one. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
They reached a country mile for Caden Curry at No. 77, and the board is aghast. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
A running back of that caliber at the 116th pick is the definition of value, full stop. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Steal is underselling it; Malik Muhammad at slot 132 is a heist with the alarm still ringing. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Oscar Delp in the Round 4 slot is fine work, a shade of surplus and no downside. A need, and now a little less of one.
They paid a round early for Beau Stephens in Round 5, Pick 10, more than the board wanted. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Patrick Payton at the Round 5 slot is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Caleb Douglas in pick No. 190 is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.