If there's a silver lining in a bad start to the season, it's the promise of a premium draft pick. That's the hope that keeps fans going when their team stumbles into a 1-4 record (or worse) through its first five weeks. That may not be where New Orleans Saints expected to find themselves after taking the Detroit Lions to overtime and upsetting the Baltimore Ravens in the opening weeks, but it's where a series of bad game plans and worse in-game adjustments from head coach Kellen Moore and his staff have taken them.
Here's how the top 10 picks in the 2027 draft shake out according to the experts at Tankathon:
- Tennessee Titans (0-5)
- Los Angeles Chargers (0-5)
- Miami Dolphins (0-5)
- Houston Texans (1-4)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-4)
- New Orleans Saints (1-4)
- Arizona Cardinals (1-4)
- Washington Commanders (1-3-1)
- New York Jets, via Dallas Cowboys via (2-3)
- Philadelphia Eagles (2-3)
A couple of other 1-4 teams have a tiebreaker advantage over the Saints thanks to their lower strength of schedule (.506 for Tampa Bay and
.470 for Houston), but things will change in the weeks ahead. It's still early in the season and any one of these teams, including New Orleans, could turn their year around with a couple of wins.
But what if they don't turn it around? If the Saints continue their slump and neither Moore nor defensive coordinator Brandon Staley have any answers, they could lock up a top-five pick. That may be the right place to target a blue-chip prospect on defense like Texas edge rusher Colin Simmons or Notre Dame cornerback Leonard Moore. Those guys look like real difference-makers at the next level. Tyler Shough is mostly playing well in spite of uncreative play calling, so you'd think quarterback isn't a priority even if the Saints are picking this highly.
We shouldn't get too deep in the weeds for 2027 draft prep just yet. It's still worth keeping an eye which prospects are climbing the rankings and where the Saints' scouting department is showing up.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: 2027 NFL Draft order: Where New Orleans Saints pick after 1-4 start
