The Saints have a major need at RB, but the options are becoming extremely limited
New Orleans Saints HC Kellen Moore values a dominant run game in his offense, but this was far from the case last season. A combination of poor offensive line play in the run game and disappointing performances/injuries among the RBs kept the Saints from finding a consistent rushing attack. Their best bet was to rely on the QBs to attack opposing defenses on the ground, which worked at times with Spencer Rattler and Tyler Shough, both good runners, but they are not good enough rushers to rely on it.
To take as much pressure as possible off of Moore and Shough, the running game needs to be improved this offseason. Although fixing the offensive line first is extremely important, another talented RB needs to be added to the roster. This could be from free agency or the draft, but now, there is a major issue. The options available are becoming increasingly limited, and the Saints may have to settle for a lower-tier option.
In free agency, RB Breece Hall is set to be tagged or extended by the New York Jets. Hall was one of the best options for New Orleans, and now, Kenneth Walker and Travis Etienne are the only remaining "high-end" options. Etienne has been strongly linked to the Chiefs, and Walker may be too expensive for where the Saints' roster stands.
The next top-end option is the 2026 NFL Draft, and that would be Jeremiyah Love. Before combine week, there was an understanding that Love would be available at 8...well, not anymore. At the NFL Combine, Love had an exceptional performance. Even before his workouts, there were rumors spreading that teams with top-5 selections had interest in the star RB. Then, the workouts made it more likely for Love to be selected in that range.
In the 40-yard dash, Love ran a 4.36. Just to really explain how insane this was, star Detroit Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs, at 5-foot-9, 199 lbs, ran the same time. Love is 6-feet tall and 212 lbs. Adding this type of performance with the meeting he had with teams, there is now an extremely low chance that Love will be available at pick #8.
For the Saints, they may have wanted to fix RB before the NFL Draft anyway, but not even having that option could really hurt New Orleans. Now, the Saints' outlook for the free agency RB market is much worse, and paying for Walker could be by far the best move for Moore.