Narrowing down the Saints’ WR room

Eric Canha-Imagn Images

By Ross Jackson

Following this year’s NFL Draft, the New Orleans Saints roster was loaded up with 14 wide receivers. The team added three during the draft alone, the most in a single selection process since 1989.

In the first round, the Saints selected Arizona State wide receiver Jordyn Tyson, a player set to be one of the primary options in New Orleans for years to come. They followed that selection by adding North Dakota State wideout Bryce Lance in the fourth, a 6-foot-3 and 204-pound pass-catcher with 4.34-second 40-yard dash speed and explosive leaping ability.

To wrap up the receiver adds, New Orleans also selected LSU receiver and return specialist Barion Brown in the sixth round. Brown had six kick return touchdowns during his collegiate career, one shy of the NCAA record.

Since drafting the three pass-catchers, New Orleans has moved on from a pair of incumbent wideouts, Elijah Cooks and Samori Toure, both of whom were late additions last year.

That leaves the Saints with 12 wideouts.

New Orleans will essentially already have five wideouts in place for their 53-man roster. Olave, Tyson, Vele, Lance and Brown.

Olave and Vele were the only two sure things at the position going into the draft. Tyson and Lance are high enough draft picks to assume their spots are set (especially Tyson, of course) and Brown is likely to be the team’s primary return talent going into 2026.

If New Orleans decides to keep six receivers, knowing one is for Brown as a return specialist, that would leave one spot for seven receivers to compete to fill.

The early favorite in that competition would be Polk, who the Saints traded to acquire before the 2025 season despite knowing he would not be able to take that field that year. Their investment in him (a 2027 sixth-round pick) wasn’t steep, but the team favored him during his draft process and had a strong grade on him.

If New Orleans feels highly about Polk still, which all indications currently suggest, he could be in line to earn the final spot on the 53-man roster at wideout while others compete to hold a practice squad spot.