With elite edge rushers flooding the 2026 draft, the Saints are poised to snag a game-changing pass rusher at No. 8.
The New Orleans Saints hold a premium pick in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft. The Saints will select at No. 8. They picked a good season to draft in the Top 10.
New Orleans will be afforded several great options in a unique draft class. The class features several stars that are not in positions many would classify as premium positions like quarterback, left tackle and cornerback. Those positions are not as strong, and linebacker, safety and running back happen to be strong this offseason.
Two premium positions, wide receiver and edge rusher, happen to be better than usual in this year's draft. Those two spots happen to be perhaps the Saints' greatest areas of need. For that reason, look for New Orleans to take one of those two positions in the first round.
ESPN NFL draft expert Matt Miller believes that this defensive end draft is loaded with talented edge depth. Miller answered the question of how many edge rushers we will see selected in the first round of this year's draft.
"Five, maybe six if you classify Ohio State's Arvell Reese as an edge rusher. I believe Reese, David Bailey (Texas Tech), Rueben Bain Jr. (Miami) and Keldric Faulk (Auburn) are locks. Then, Akheem Mesidor (Miami) and Cashius Howell (Texas A&M) are likely to go in the first round, too.
But would it be a surprise to see as many as nine edge rushers? Not with this class. There is a lack of top prospects at other premium positions and a need for rotational pass rushers in the NFL, especially from playoff teams selecting in the back end of the round. R Mason Thomas (Oklahoma), Zion Young (Missouri) and T.J. Parker (Clemson) could all sneak in."
Texas Tech's David Bailey wraps up the BYU ball carrier during a Big 12 Conference football game, Saturday, Nov. 8, at Jones AT&T Stadium. Nathan Giese/Avalanche-Journal-USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn ImagesOhio State edge rusher Arvell Reese is likely to be off the board well before the Saints draft. Even so, all of David Bailey, Rueben Bain Jr., Keldrick Faulk, Akheem Mesidor and Cashius Howell could be available to New Orleans when they draft at No. 8, depending on how the teams ahead of them view those prospects.
The Raiders are all but a lock to draft Fernando Mendoza with the first pick with Reese and fellow Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles as potential Top 5 picks. Add in Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love and Ohio State receiver Carnell Tate and the draft could fall right for the Saints to select the next best edge rusher in the draft.
The draft will likely take unexpected turns. Maybe all of Reese, Bailey and Bain are selected in the first seven picks. That said, it seems likely the New Orleans will be able to select a top edge rusher early in the draft.