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Katherine Terrell
Multiple Authors
The NFL draft is less than a month away, and the New Orleans Saints hold the No. 8 pick. They filled a number of needs in free agency, adding guard David Edwards, linebacker Kaden Elliss, tight end Noah Fant and running back Travis Etienne Jr.
The Saints will still need to address positions of need at wide receiver and pass rusher.
Here’s what their roster currently looks like and what Saints coach Kellen Moore recently had to say about each position as they count down to the April 23-25 draft (ESPN, ABC and ESPN the app).
Offense
Quarterback
The Saints recently added veteran Zach Wilson, who presumably could compete with Spencer Rattler for the backup job behind Tyler Shough.
“We had two quarterbacks, we were going to need to sign some more and our job is to make those environments as competitive as possible. We feel good about watching Zach … have followed him, evaluated him a number of times now, and so I feel like the opportunity was right,” Moore said.
The Saints coach said a few months ago that the intent was to sign at least one or two more quarterbacks to compete this offseason, even though the team feels good about both Rattler and Shough.
Wide receiver
The makeup of the Saints wideouts is more about potential than experience. Chris Olave is heading into his fifth-year option season and coming off a big year following a difficult 2024 season. But with the departures of Rashid Shaheed and Brandin Cooks, there’s not much depth behind him.
Ja’Lynn Polk, the New England Patriots’ second-round pick in 2024, caught 12 passes as a rookie but has yet to take snaps with the Saints after they acquired him off the Pats’ injured reserve list via a preseason trade. Trey Palmer, who was claimed off waivers from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, has two seasons of experience but also didn’t play for the Saints last season while on IR.
Devaughn Vele, another preseason trade acquisition from the Denver Broncos, showed promise after he got more playing time via the departures of other receivers, but only had meaningful snaps in about half the Saints’ games last season.
It would make sense for the Saints to look at this position in the draft as Moore molds the offense to his vision. Moore said one thing he’s looking for is how a new receiver would fit into that vision.
“People like to say in the receiver room, you always kind of want it to feel like an NBA starting five. You don’t want all the same-looking bodies,” Moore said. “There’s a lot of different job responsibilities that go into it. And so it’s just us having those conversations that say, ‘Hey, if this guy came into the room, this is what it probably looks like, this is how we structure it.’ If this guy, again, you’ve got to have enough flexibility within your scheme to be able to do that. But I think it’s important to understand what it’s going to look like with a particular player.”
Running back
The biggest question in the running back room is whether Alvin Kamara and Etienne will be playing together in 2026. With both backs set to each make more than $11 million this season, there’s also the question of whether Kamara returns on his current contract.
Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love is considered one of this draft’s top players. If the Saints drafted Love at No. 8, those three salaries would represent a significant investment at the position. Kamara has one year left on his deal, while Etienne signed a four-year deal worth $11.8 million per year.
Moore said this week that there would be enough snaps for both considering the high rate of injuries at RB.
“We feel like there’s ways you can … put them in plenty of situations, again, look at our season last year, look at probably just about every NFL season. Plenty of running backs play,” Moore said. “Obviously we feel fortunate that we were able to acquire Travis in free agency, but there’s still a lot of work to be had out there.”
Tight end
There has been one major departure within the tight end room after Foster Moreau signed with the Houston Texans. “Do-everything” player Taysom Hill (who was listed as a quarterback in 2025 but played a number of roles) remains a free agent.
Juwan Johnson will return as the lead tight end, and Fant will have a significant role after the Saints pursued him twice before signing him in free agency.
Offensive line
With Edwards slated to play left guard, the only question mark is who will play on the right. RG Cesar Ruiz has been the starter there for several seasons, but Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said in January that they’ll need to get more out of him this season.
They’ll also have to replace backup center Luke Fortner, who started 10 games when Erik McCoy was hurt. Fortner recently signed with the Carolina Panthers.
Defense
Linebacker
Replacing longtime captain Demario Davis will be the biggest challenge for the linebacker group after the Saints brought Elliss back.
“He’s going to be great for the Jets,” Moore said. “His leadership in the locker room, on the field, the example that he sets every day in practice, in games. Obviously he performed at a really high level last year, and so I think it’s going to be great for all those guys up there to have him in that locker room. He’s going to raise the level for all those guys.”
While Elliss was a role player in his first stint with the Saints, he became a starter and captain during his years with the Atlanta Falcons. Elliss cautioned that replacing Davis and his leadership wasn’t something that could simply be done with one person.
With Davis gone, second-year player Danny Stutsman should see increased playing time.
Defensive line
Defensive end Cameron Jordan, the Saints’ franchise sack leader, remains unsigned. If Jordan, who turns 37 in July, re-signs, it’ll be a question of how he fits in the rotation with Chase Young and Carl Granderson. Jordan got more playing time early in 2025 after Young missed the first five games of the season, but Young still finished with 10 sacks.
Jordan said recently on former teammate Terron Armstead’s podcast that one thing he was looking for in a team was not only the right contract but also the right opportunity and role.
“Obviously we love Cam, and I think obviously a free agent’s responsibility is to put yourself in the best position to be successful. And so Cam gets to do that,” Moore said. “And so that’s credit to him and his journey and the performance that he had last year. I thought he did a really good job for us. And so we’ll continue to have those conversations.”
The Saints have invested money and draft picks in their pass rushers over the years, so adding to this position wouldn’t be out of the question, even if Jordan returns.
Defensive back
Nickel cornerback Alontae Taylor signed with the Tennessee Titans in free agency, and the Saints will need to either sign another defensive back or move someone.
“We got some guys in our building, obviously we feel like can make that transition, both from the corner and the safety buckets, so to speak,” Moore said. “Sometimes that position has some variables that tie both those positions together. We’ll go through the draft process. We’ll see what comes out of that experience, and then we’ll continue to evaluate it.”
One player of intrigue will be safety Julian Blackmon, who signed with the Saints last summer but was hurt in the season opener. Blackmon re-signed with the Saints after spending the season on IR, and considering he has five seasons of starting experience with the Indianapolis Colts, they’ll try to find a place for him.
Specialists
Kicker
Charlie Smyth has shown impressive leg strength in the two seasons he has been with the Saints, and he’s the presumed starting kicker after what amounted to a six-game tryout last season.
But Blake Grupe’s release late in the 2025 season showed the kicker-of-the-moment can change at any time. Smyth has potential but is only in his third year of kicking an American football after coming to the NFL from Ireland.
He’ll need to show consistency in training camp, so it would be plausible for the Saints to bring another kicker to camp to compete against him.
Punter
The Saints won’t be going into camp with an open competition for the first time in several years. The Saints traded Kai Kroeger to the Texans and signed former Minnesota Vikings punter Ryan Wright to a four-year deal that is guaranteed for the first two years.
That means he’ll be the Saints’ punter through at least his first season.
Kick returner
The Saints traded Pro Bowl kicker returner Shaheed to the Seattle Seahawks last season, and things feel fairly open at that position this year. Recently signed running back Ty Chandler has some experience returning punts in his four seasons with the Vikings.
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