With rumors of the Saints trading up, there is one player who stands out above the rest
The New Orleans Saints have an excellent spot at pick 8 in the 2026 NFL Draft, but like any year, rumors spread about teams trading up or trading down. Of course, with the Saints being one of those teams that tend to trade up, the rumors of them doing just that have spread around social media.
I covered the rumor about Carnell Tate potentially being a trade-up target for the Saints, and that happening at pick 5 with the New York Giants. In my opinion, the Saints should avoid making that trade for many reasons, including the depth of the draft class and at least two other WR options bound to be available at 8, potentially even including Tate himself. There was also a rumor that spread about the Saints doing the same thing, but this time, for Rueben Bain Jr. This is a similar conversation to Tate, except one of those top edge rushers will not be available at 8, like what would happen with WR. So, I would be more accepting of the Saints making that move, but still think it is better to stay at 8 because of the depth at EDGE in this class.
Those have been the two main rumors about the Saints trading up, and they raise the idea that maybe the Saints are looking for trade partners. If this is the case, looking at some of the top prospects in the draft, a deal should be made for only one specific player: Arvell Reese.
Reese is arguably the #1 player in the draft based on potential, and what makes him special is how good he is at linebacker. Most people believe Reese will become an EDGE in the NFL, and by trading for him, the Saints would be making that bet, but they wouldn't need to be in a rush to make that happen. Reese is a long-term investment, so he won't need to play primarily off the edge in 2026 on the Saints roster.
Also, for Reese, this may be the best landing spot in the top 8. In Brandon Staley's scheme, he would fit perfectly as an OLB and still be used at LB, and now that Kaden Elliss is on the roster, Reese has someone he can learn from. Elliss did the opposite coming into the NFL, becoming an LB after being a pass rusher, but it should still help Reese.
With the Saints having more hope for next season, but not expecting to win a Super Bowl or having to save someone's job, they can be patient with Reese to become a star pass rusher in the NFL.