B-
New Orleans Saints
The Saints checked most of the boxes and earned a B-.
by [email protected] ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 8 picks
· 1 steals
· 5 reaches
There is reaching, and then there is Kaleb Elarms-Orr at No. 136. The Saints jumped the board by 47 and dared it to prove them wrong.
Leaving edge rusher unaddressed is the roster risk they will have to answer for in the fall. The Price steal is the beam this whole class leans on. Job largely done: cornerback settled and 4 of 8 of the wish list covered.
The back end got a real overhaul.
All told, a solid class that does its job everywhere but edge rusher.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 8th overall pick they get a two-high chess piece. More want than need.
They talked themselves into Keionte Scott at No. 42, and the board did not agree. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Jadarian Price at slot 73 is the sort of value that quietly wins a weekend. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
They paid sticker price for DeMonte Capehart in the 132nd pick, and that is fine. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Value said wait; Kaleb Elarms-Orr in the Round 4 slot says they were not listening. A minor itch, scratched.
Rayshaun Benny at Round 5, Pick 10 is a clear overpay, with better names still on the board. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
A wild overpay on Jeff Caldwell in the 172nd overall pick, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Zavion Thomas in No. 190, miles early. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.