Week 1 is finally here, but half of the New Orleans Saints rookie class will have to wait to make their debut. Of the eight players New Orleans selected in the 2026 NFL Draft, just four are dressing out for Sunday's road game with the Detroit Lions: defensive tackle Christen Miller and right guard Jeremiah Wright, both backups; plus wide receivers Bryce Lance and Barion Brown.
Two of the Saints' first three draft picks are unavailable. First-round wide receiver Jordyn Tyson is on injured reserve and third-round tight end Oscar Delp is inactive. Late-round defensive backs Lorenzo Styles Jr. and TJ Hall Jr. are both inactive, too, with Styles joining Tyson on IR and Hall stuck on the practice squad. It's not exactly the big talent injection Saints fans
were hoping for out of this year's draft. That's not to say they won't pay off later, but we aren't seeing a big return on those draft picks right away.
Tyson must sit out at least the first four regular season games before he can return from injured reserve, but that's just when he's eligible. Recovering from a hamstring that's bothered him for so long could take longer. Hopefully the two receivers New Orleans picked on Day 3 of the draft -- Lance in Round 4, Brown in Round 6 -- can make enough plays to where Tyson's absence doesn't matter.
But it goes beyond the draft picks. The Saints didn't have a single undrafted free agent make the 53-man roster, and running back CJ Donaldson will be the only one to play in Week 1 after being elevated from the practice squad. Offensive tackles Alan Herron and Alex Wollschlaeger were the prized pickups of their rookie free agent class but they're both watching this game from the sideline. That isn't unusual (if anything, you don't want too many rookie free agents taking too many reps) but it is a little disquieting. Let's see if the rookies who are taking the field can surprise us.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Half of Saints' 2026 rookie draft class inactive for Week 1 vs. Lions
