Saints Round 2 and 3 Draft Fits

By Ross Jackson

This year’s NFL Draft class happens to be deepest in some of the areas that the New Orleans Saints may be looking to address with their selections. 

That means after making their top selection in this year’s draft, currently scheduled to be the No. 8 overall pick, there will be ample opportunity to continue to add talent and bolster the roster. 

Here are a few of the round two and three fits to keep in mind as the Saints open another NFL Draft on Thursday.

Wide Receivers

• Louisville WR Chris Bell
• UConn WR Skyler Bell
• Alabama WR Germie Bernard
• Georgia WR Zachariah Branch
• Oklahoma WR Deion Burks
• NDSU WR Bryce Lance
• Indiana WR Elijah Sarratt
• Georgia State WR Ted Hurst

Perhaps the deepest position group in this year’s class, wide receiver offers many opportunities for the Saints to bolster talent beyond the first round. From yards after catch wideouts to contested catch winners and beyond. Any archetype would fit into the Saints’ current room, and there are numerous options of each style available well into Day 3. 

Offensive Linemen

• Oregon OL Emmanuel Pregnon
• Georgia Tech OL Keylan Rutledge
• Texas A&M OL Chase Bisontis

These are mostly second-round players, though Rutledge actually has a shot at going in the first. Should the Saints look to bring in immediate competition along the line, they’ll not be short on early options. This is another position group with great depth options even later in the draft. 

Running Backs

• Washington RB Jonah Coleman
• Notre Dame RB Jadarian Price
• Arkansas RB Mike Washington Jr. 

Adding to the run game is one of the busts of the Saints’ draft this year. With uncertainty going into 2026 and beyond, adding talent here wouldn’t be a bad idea. Each of these backs has a lot of versatility and the drop off following them at the position isn’t massive from a talent perspective, but is sizable when it comes to flexibility of use. Each of these backs can run inside and outside of the tackles, catch and has shown at least a willingness in pass protection. 

Cornerbacks

• Arizona State CB Keith Abney
• Indiana CB D’Angelo Ponds
• Miami CB Keionte Scott
• Arizona CB Treydan Stukes

Whether looking to help themselves in the slot or boosting their outside cornerback talent and depth, cornerback offers some intriguing options in the first two days. The drop off here is Steelers moving forward than at most other positions in this year’s draft. Each of the named players could step into the slot (Scott) and some have outside corner versatility as well (Stukes and Ponds). 

Edge Rushers

• Auburn EDGE Keyron Crawford
• Missouri EDGE Zion Young

There are other names I could have included here, like Oklahoma’s R Mason Thomas, but his injury history may be prohibitive in comparison to other options. Crawford is a pass rush specialist type through-and-through while Young can contribute most effectively as a run stopper. However, both can cross the lane productively. 

Defensive Tackles

• Texas Tech DT Lee Hunter 
• Georgia DT Christen Miller

Either of these players would be a steal in the second round. New Orleans improved its run defense to No. 19 in the league last year after finishing No. 31 in 2024. However, improving to No. 19 won’t have defensive coordinator Brandon Staley planting any flags just yet. Instead, the leap ahead shows the potential of the unit’s ability to limit opposing offense’s ground games. Now, he will want to build upon that. 

Linebackers

• Texas LB Anthony Hill Jr. 
• Texas Tech LB Jacob Rodriguez

Both active and productive players at the collegiate level, Hill could provide an excellent second-level blitzing option while Rodriguez provides an invaluable motor with excellent leadership skills. This position may not be seen as a major need after the free agent reunion with linebacker Kaden Elliss, but if either ends up being the best player available in either round, they’ll be tough to ignore.