Saints target a dynamic USC receiver in a recent mock draft, envisioning him as a potent complement to their rising offense and emerging quarterback.
The New Orleans Saints may not have made the playoffs, but there’s a tremendous amount of positivity in the direction the team is heading.
The Saints were winners of four straight before their Week 18 loss, on the strength of several explosive performances from star quarterback Tyler Shough. The Saints rookie signal caller had put up back-to-back 300-yard games with a 270-yard showing the week before. In fact, Shough went for over 80% completions against the Tennessee Titans.
Outside of star wide receiver Chris Olave, Shough has managed to be productive without much surrounding stability at the skill positions. One mock draft could add another receiver to throw to in 2026.
Vinnie Iver of "Newsweek" sent one of college football's best wide receivers to the Saints with the No. 8 pick in the draft. Iver made USC wide receiver Makai Lemon to the Saints in the mock draft selection. He wrote the following of the pick.
"The Saints, likely to stick with Tyler Shough at QB, need to give him more wideout weapons beyond Chris Olave. Kellen Moore can have some visions of Lemon being the DeVonta Smith to Olave's A.J. Brown, should Shough show big improvement."
Southern California Trojans wide receiver Makai Lemon (6) hurdles UCLA Bruins punter Will Karoll (49) as linebacker Scott Taylor (20) watches in the second half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Kirby Lee-Imagn ImagesThe Devonta Smith comp is a high bar, but one that might be in reach for the 2025 Biletnikoff Award winner, an award given to college football's best wide receiver. Lemon went off in the 2025 college football season for USC head coach Lincoln Riley.
The USC receiver went for a Power Four leading 1,156 receiving yards and 96.3 yards per game average this season. He added 502 yards after catch, 11 receiving touchdowns and 6.6 receptions per game.
While we typically identify running backs as workhorses, Lemon's high volume of receptions indicates that he could carry a game at receiver if a defense tried to take Olave's production away. Add in 19 catches of over 20 yards and you have a complete receiver to compliment what the Saints' rising offense already has this year.
There are a handful of other directions New Orleans could go with their draft selection, but adding a wide receiver would certainly boost explosive potential for the offense. Whether or not Makai Lemon will be the choice is still to be seen, but certainly would make sense given how well he played at the college level.
The Saints will look to make the right decision in April.