Saints’ three biggest needs heading into 2026 offseason

By Ross Jackson

During the Week 15 Thursday Night Football tilt, it became apparent that the NFC South division is still lacking a dominant team. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the favorite to win the division in 2025, fell 29-28 against the Atlanta Falcons, who are struggling to avoid finishing at the bottom of the group.

Tampa has now lost six of its last eight games, including two in a row to division opponents Atlanta and the New Orleans Saints.

On Sunday, the Saints will host the Carolina Panthers, who now sit atop the NFC South. New Orleans, which played spoiler a week ago in Tampa, will look to do so again against the Panthers. But the winnable nature of the division should light a fire for New Orleans headed into the offseason.

It’s clear that there is no such thing as an NFC South juggernaut at the moment. In order for New Orleans to take advantage of that opportunity, a tall order of which the team has fallen short in recent years, addressing some of the biggest needs on the roster will have to be the first step.

1. Add a wide receiver with game-breaking ability.

Perhaps it’s a 50-50, jump ball, big-bodied winner against tight coverage or maybe it’s a faster, shiftier yards-after-catch threat. In either case, the Saints need another difference maker at pass-catcher. Wideouts Chris Olave and Devaughn Vele appear to be a strong pairing. Adding another dynamic threat to the group could go a long way for New Orleans. 

It will be tempting to assume that only one kind of receiver, a traditional X, will be the only way to go about adding talent to the roster. But bringing in a player that can turn a five-yard pass into a breakaway play could be just as valuable. One example in this year’s draft is Georgia’s Zachariah Branch, one of the top yards-after-catch threats in this upcoming class.

UGA WR Zachariah Branch is an explosive/dynamic receiver. In space, he will put your DBs in conflict! Close the space or pay the price. pic.twitter.com/vbuWL8Sil6

— Full-Time Dame 💰 (@DP_NFL) October 29, 2025

2. Another threat at edge rusher

Defensive end Chase Young has been fantastic for New Orleans, and Cameron Jordan is having yet another career resurgence with 6.5 sacks on the year. However, adding another young presence to the pass rush would be an invaluable improvement for the Saints.

The team needs another player that forces opposing offenses to gameplan out of concern for their impact. Making sure that player is a pass rusher that can create long days for opposing passers is uniquely important. The NFL Draft provides some options, but free agency could be a path as well.

3. Rebuild the interior offensive line

The Saints’ pass protection gets more hate than is truly deserved. Rookie quarterback Tyler Shough has faced pressure at 21st highest rate (32.9%) out of 34 qualifying passers, per Next Gen Stats. However, with the bulk of that pressure coming from the interior of the offensive line, concern is warranted. New Orleans needs to boldly consider both of its guard positions this offseason and look at possible upgrades. When the interior of the pocket crumbles, the quarterback has no place to step up, which has been a big part of Shough’s game. Continuing to allow for the line to be walked back in that area is taking away a core part of what Shough does so well. 

The free agency route here makes sense as top-end investment over the offseason.