Following the first day of Senior Bowl practices, the New Orleans Saints should continue to feel optimistic about the depth in this year’s NFL Draft class. The prospects in Mobile, Ala. have proven that New Orleans will have several avenues to addressing some of their biggest needs, should they persist after free agency.
Here are six of the many Senior Bowl standouts and Saints fits from Tuesday’s practice.
West Michigan EDGE Nadame Tucker
Tucker put on a show during his National Team practice. From one-on-one wins to pressures generated during team drills, the 6-foot-3, 240-pound edge rusher has checked a lot of early boxes in his first practice.
Nice inside win by Nadame Tucker matched up with Trey Zuhn. #SeniorBowl https://t.co/B5xax55Txt pic.twitter.com/V53zHe7mrr
— Devin Jackson (@RealD_Jackson) January 27, 2026
He’d be a strong blend of speed, power and quickness to add to the Saints’ defensive end room.
Notre Dame WR Malachi Fields
This big-bodied wide receiver has quickly lived up to expectations. He showed a great propensity for working the short and intermediate areas of the field in team drills but also made a great catch attack downfield with late hands to reel in a well-placed pass.
Notre Dame’s Malachi Fields is a physical X-receiver who can win downfield. One of the most talented WRs at the Senior Bowl.
Averaged over 17 yards per reception this past season. pic.twitter.com/fF6b65OO9x
— Bobby Football (@Rob__Paul) January 28, 2026
Fields is built like a traditional X-receiver, but has some suddenness and fluidity to his motion that would allow him to be a versatile threat in selected situations.
John Carroll WR Tyren Montgomery
One of the biggest questions Montgomery was going to have to answer during the Senior Bowl is whether or not he could hang with higher levels of competition. So far, that’s not been an issue for the 5-foot-11, 190-pound playmaker.
What an impressive first @seniorbowl practice for John Carroll WR Tyren Montgomery.
Colton Hood is the highest-ranked CB in attendance and Montgomery got him a few times. pic.twitter.com/4C5ko0yVia
— Justin M (@JustinM_NFL) January 28, 2026
Montgomery went up against SEC talent and highly-rated talent during the first day and found wins almost every time. With great speed and playmaking ability, Montgomery is a small-school prospect to watch with a versatile skillset that could fit well in New Orleans.
Texas Tech DL Lee Hunter
The interior defensive line could continue to add fresh legs this offseason and Hunter is a part of a fantastic Red Raiders defense worthy of attention.
Texas Tech DT Lee Hunter looked like a first rounder throughout Day 1. His combo of explosiveness and power was too much for most of his opponents pic.twitter.com/CLRHEj4BVD
— Jack Brentnall (@Jack_Brentnall) January 28, 2026
At 6-foot-3 and 320 pounds, the defensive tackle may quickly be looked at as a nose tackle, but while on the field Tuesday, he proved he can move around and be just as effective elsewhere. Hunter proved he can bring both a run stopping and pass rushing presence to a defensive line.
Georgia State OL Keylan Rutledge
While the defensive line performances were strong all day, Rutledge was one of the few offensive linemen to stand out. His physical and violent play style are hard to miss and his athleticism jumps off the field. He’s a tenacious player with a relentless motor and impressive movement ability. He’s moving himself from a late day two pick to the end of round one conversation.
It’s fair to say #GeorgiaTech iOL Keylan Rutledge was the best offensive lineman for the National Team in Day 1 of Senior Bowl practice. pic.twitter.com/Kk43tzAPLC
— Jared Feinberg (@Jared_NFLDraft) January 27, 2026
Penn State RB Nicholas Singleton
Singleton’s versatility and ability to contribute in multiple ways was on full display. He’s a patient and explosive runner with better-than-average hands and route-running ability out of the backfield with a long list of wins in pass protection. He is in contention to be the second running back off of the board in 2026, and the Saints should be among the teams interested.
Penn State RB Nicholas Singleton, who’s in the running for RB2 in the class.
📍@PaniniAmerica Senior Bowl Day 1, National Practice 1 pic.twitter.com/FhRYhKp5ZX
— The Draft Network (@TheDraftNetwork) January 27, 2026
