The Saints may go into the draft without signing an RB, and if that happens and the Saints miss out on Love, it could get a bit worrisome.
On offense, the New Orleans Saints have some clear areas to upgrade: Wide reciever, running back, and interior offensive line. These are the three positions that the Saints need to fix this offseason if they want to take the next step in 2026. Currently, there are projected options set to be available, but what if the Saints don't secure those players?
For this exercise, I want to focus on the RB options available in both free agency and the NFL Draft. There is a really good chance that Kenneth Walker and Breece Hall will both be brought back to their respective teams. Hall would be an excellent fit on the Saints, but there is nowhere near a guarantee that the New York Jets let him leave. This would leave Travis Etienne, who is still a good RB, as the top option. Although compared to Walker and Hall, he is a tier lower. The Saints may not want to invest a lot of money in an RB they might not be super high on. What could they do then?
Well, first we need to look at the current room. Alvin Kamara is nearing the end of his career. There's a good chance Kendre Miller will not be on the roster next season. Devin Neal is a good RB2, and Audric Estime is a depth piece. This is not a great group, and the other free-agent options (besides Hall, Walker, and Etienne) do not really upgrade the position group.
That leaves the NFL Draft, and at #8, Jeremiyah Love is the clear best option. He is by far the leading RB in the class and could be a top-3 player in the entire draft. It would be great for the Saints to select him, and all issues in the RB room will be solved, but what if he isn't available when New Orleans' selection comes around? The Kansas City Chiefs, one spot after the Saints, could easily trade up and get him, or another team could select him. There is no guarantee Love will be there.
So, if the Saints refrain from signing an RB free agent and miss out on Love, it could get scary, but there are options people aren't talking about enough, specifically Washington's Jonah Coleman.
The extremely talented RB is only 5-foot-9, but he is so hard to tackle and a threat in the passing game that defenses will have to account for him. Coleman is not the fastest, but his ability to find the perfect lane to run in is exceptional, and he is very good in the redzone.
No, he is not at Love's level, but Coleman would be an excellent pivot option on Day 2 for the Siants