It could be a realistic outcome, but it may be scary.
Usually, the closer we get to the NFL Draft, the New Orleans Saints' selection is revealed. What I mean is that, in mock drafts online and among NFL insiders, the same player may start to show up at a certain pick, and that may not change for a while. This could be because of information that is being spread around the NFL.
Why do I bring this up? Well, this is not what is happening in 2026. Besides Fernando Mendoza at #1 with the Las Vegas Raiders selection, there are no gaurentees in the top 10. That is not really a normal thing in the draft, and at that Saints selection, it's hard to really guess what could happen. It seems the Saints will look to add a defender, and that makes sense.
Most of the team's big moves this offseason have been to upgrade the offense, but the defense has gotten worse. Kaden Elliss was a good addition, but losing Demario Davis, Cam Jordan, and Alontae Taylor has made some massive holes on the roster. So, in the draft, investing heavily in the defense makes sense, especially at #8. What makes this an even more likely outcome is that the best available players at #8 are projected to be some of the top defenders in the draft.
Still, there is a chance the Saints do not go with defense in the first. Another one of their top needs is WR, and Kellen Moore may not be able to pass up on a WR he views as the top of the draft.
Hitting on a game-changer WR to partner with Chris Olave and Tyler Shough is an excellent outcome in the draft, but my goodness, the defense is becoming the second child being overshadowed by its sibling (the offense). EDGE is one of the top needs on the roster, arguably more than WR, and as I mentioned before, there are other holes on defense due to departures. Also, the CB and DT rooms could use upgrades throughout.
DC Brandon Staley was able to get the best out of this defense last season, and he was doing it without the correct archetypes needed in his scheme. The Saints banking on him doing that again, with an even worse defense in 2026, is not a good idea. For the rest of the draft, the Saints may have to use at least 5 of their selections on the defense, and even then, it may not be ready for next season.
This is the risk of going with WR at 8, but the reward is setting up Shough for success, which is not a bad thing at all. If the Saints can match, let's say, Makai Lemon at 8, and get at least three defensive starters from the rest of the draft, all should be good.