After a stellar 2025 draft class, the New Orleans Saints appear to have put together another strong rookie group in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Headlined by wide receiver Jordyn Tyson, who was seen as one of the top wideouts in the class, the Saints’ 2026 draft class brings a lot of potential. While conversation often flows around the trio of wide receivers drafted, defensive tackle Christen Miller, who was selected in the second round and third-round tight end Oscar Delp, one player often flies under the radar: seventh-round cornerback TJ Hall.
The former Iowa Hawkeyes corner was drafted by the Saints with a seventh-round selection that they gained in their trade to acquire edge rusher Tyree Wilson from the Las Vegas Raiders. New Orleans sent one of its two fifth-round picks to Las Vegas in exchange for WIlson and the No. 219 selection in the draft.
With that pick, Hall was selected. Since, there’s not been much mention of him nor much conversations around his potential with the team.
The 6-foot, 189-pound cornerback joined a position room that became a fairly crowded one as the offseason progressed. The addition of veteran cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. along with a pair of undrafted free agent rookies made the path for Hall look quite competitive.
However, since then, both undrafted cornerbacks have been waived and the Saints now have a group with which Hall can compete. His top competition is likely second-year cornerback Jayden Price, as both could be options in the slot and with special teams contributions.
He totaled 47 tackles last year with the Hawkeyes while logging a missed tackle percentage of just 5.4%. That’s a reliable tackler for a potential slot corner or even for one that remains on the perimeter, as he did in college.
As camp and the preseason progress, Hall will be a name to watch to see whether or not he can raise his profile and potentially push for a roster spot. Otherwise, a spot on the practice squad can provide him a strong opportunity to continue developing in the background.
