The Saints made a statement in the 2026 NFL Draft. They are willing to do whatever it takes to provide Tyler Shough with everything that he needs to be the franchise quarterback. Going into draft weekend, many Saints fans were expecting a largely defensive class largely due to key defensive departures like Demario Davis and Alontae Taylor. Especially after the Saints spent the number eight overall pick on Arizona State Wide Receiver, Jordyn Tyson, the assumption was that the majority of the mid-to-late
round selections were going to feature some new toys for Defensive Coordinator, Brandon Staley. As the weekend churned on, that assumption was totally flipped on its head.
The Saints added two more receivers in addition to Tyson, spending one of their fourth-round picks on North Dakota State’s Bryce Lance and their sixth rounder on LSU’s Barion Brown. This tandem adds a much-needed influx of speed into the receiver room. LSU Tiger fans are already acutely aware of the “get away from the cops” speed that Barion Brown possesses. Brown returned kicks all season for the Tigers and even took the opening kickoff to the crib for a touchdown in the 2025 Kinder’s Texas Bowl against Houston. Bryce Lance, little brother of LA Chargers QB Trey Lance, ran a 4.34 40-yard-dash at the NFL Combine. Lance led the Bison in all major receiving stats and had an average yards-per-reception of 21.16. Both of these players are true burners that will, hopefully, stretch the field for Kellen Moore’s offense.
The Saints also spent their third-round pick on University of Georgia Tight End, Oscar Delp. This further illustrated the emphasis that the front office put on enhancing the overall offensive fire power. As a huge college football fan, I’ve been familiar with Delp for a while now. He’s a stud. However, the pick did come out of left field for me. I was totally expecting the Saints to draft an Alontae Taylor replacement. Now with the benefit of hindsight (knowing that they got Lorenzo Styles Jr. in the fifth), this selection is aging like wine. The departure of Foster Moreau left the Saints with a hole at that second string Tight End position behind Juwan Johnson. Delp has far more upside as a pass catcher than Moreau ever provided. When you couple this selection with the addition of Noah Fant in free agency, the style of player that Kellen Moore is looking for at this position is very clear. All three tight ends are threats in the pass game for Shough to throw the ball to. However, I do expect Delp to immediately be the best blocker in the room. It will be very intriguing to see how he fits into the offense.
It’s pretty apparent that Moore wants Shough to air it out this season. As weird as it may feel to draft three receivers in one class, I kind of love it. In week 17 of last season, an image floated around social media of a graphic that was shown on the broadcast for the Saints Falcons game. The graphic showed the Saints starting offensive weapons. The list read: Audric Estime, Evan Hull, Nyheim Miller-Hines, Kevin Austin Jr., Dante Pettis, Samori Toure, and Ronnie Bell. No disrespect to any of those players, but this draft class really shouldn’t have surprised anyone…
Looking ahead to what this 2026 Saints offense will actually look like, the key word is versatility. Travis Etienne Jr. is a receiving back who has also lined up at slot receiver while at Clemson and on the Jaguars. Jordan Tyson is big, physical, and fast which enables him to play the X, Z, and in the slot. The same could be said for Bryce Lance. Saints fans already know about everything Olave can do in this department as well. Even Juwan Johnson has played both tight end and receiver over the course of his career. This revamped offensive arsenal has a chance to be a play caller’s dream. The combination of speed and versatility allows for what feels like an infinite number of creative possibilities. I wouldn’t want to have to defend it.
