There may be the perfect oppurtunity, but would the Saints finally do it?
There are little to no guarantees in the NFL Draft, but the New Orleans Saints actually have one of them every year. GM Mickey Loomis is not someone who trades back in the draft, especially in the first round. His thought process is, "Why trade back for a worse player when our best player left on the board is available?" This is not a bad way to view the draft, and it is more of a quality-over-quantity viewpoint, but things do change.
Every year, the conversation around trading back in the draft comes up with the Saints' selection, particularly in the past two seasons. There are too many needs on the roster, and the larger quantity of picks for New Orleans has actually worked out very well. So, why not bring that same conversation up for this draft?
The 2026 NFL draft is an interesting one because it's not great. In the top 10, there are talented players, but many of them are in less-valued positions. For example, RB Jeremiyah Love may be a top 3 pick, Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles are both LBs, and Caleb Downs is a safety. All of them are projected to be top 10 selections. There is a good chance a good player will be available at 8 when the Saints select, but that prospect may not be the same caliber as the one usually available at 8 in previous years. That is the argument the Saints need to think about when the clock starts on their selection.
Next, the remaining prospects would need to be evaluated. If New Orleans loves a player near the end of the 1st round, and really likes the day 2 value of this draft, trading back to get some extra draft capital would be smart. So, if that is the case, should the Saints trade back?
Well, no matter what, my answer is actually no. The positional value conversation at 8 needs to be thrown out the window. This is not the draft to have that mindset, and the Saints should get whoever the best player on their board is. Also, trading back puts them in a weird spot in the first round. The middle/back of the first round is also weaker, and this draft class is lacking true first-round talent. Although it may get the Saints another Day 2 selection, they could lose a first-round level prospect.