ESPN's rotating mock draft gives Saints 3 immediate impact starters
· Yahoo Sports
April is officially here, and draft season has hit full throttle. Analysts across every major sports outlet are churning out mock drafts by the day, each offering a different perspective on how things could unfold in the 2026 NFL Draft later this month. Among the most intriguing is an annual staple from ESPN, where draft experts Mel Kiper Jr., Matt Miller, Jordan Reid, and Field Yates teamed up for a rotating mock draft, projecting the first 100 picks across all 32 teams.
As expected, the exercise delivered its fair share of surprises early on. For the New Orleans Saints, it meant landing one of the most polarizing prospects in the entire class, instantly putting their draft haul under the spotlight. With three selections inside the top 100, the Saints are a clear focal point of this mock as they continue building around quarterback Tyler Shough and company. And when it came time to make the most important of those decisions, it was Field Yates on the clock for New Orleans at No. 8 overall.
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Round 1, Pick 8: Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State
"Is linebacker a pressing need for the Saints? No, not after they brought back Kaden Elliss. But I wouldn't let the exceptional Styles -- who is No. 5 on my board -- slide any further."
Styles, arguably the most athletically gifted player in this year’s class, offers tremendous upside as an off-ball linebacker with the versatility to rush off the edge or drop comfortably into space when needed. Giving defensive coordinator Brandon Staley a true chess piece like Styles would help lay the foundation for the multiple, adaptable defensive identity the New Orleans Saints are aiming to build.
Next up, Matt Miller makes his pick for the Saints in the second round, giving the team one of the top defensive backs in this year's class.
Round 2, Pick 42: Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee
"Hood's length and coverage IQ would solve the hole at cornerback caused by Alontae Taylor's departure in free agency."
Colton Hood would fill a major need for the New Orleans Saints at the cornerback position. Whether lined up on the outside or in the nickel, Hood brings a physical presence to the secondary, thriving in press-man coverage where he can disrupt receivers at the line of scrimmage and throughout their stem. He also plays with an aggressive edge in the run game, an element the Saints have valued in their corners.
With the very last selection for the Saints, draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. has the Saints taking one of Tyler Shough's college teammates in round three, someone who's been talked about heavily during this draft process.
Round 3, Pick 73: Chris Bell, WR, Louisville
"Bell is coming off a torn ACL, but he could be a reliable target opposite Chris Olave once fully healthy. He is great in 50-50 situations, and with his physicality at 6-foot-2 and 222 pounds, he can win over the middle."
If not for injury, Chris Bell would likely be in the conversation as a first-round selection in this year’s draft. A big, physical presence on the perimeter with impressive yards-after-catch ability, Bell would give the New Orleans Saints a strong complementary weapon alongside Chris Olave, adding a different dimension at the receiver position.
Although unlikely, if the draft were to fall this way for the New Orleans Saints, fans should be through the roof about the potential of this team. Landing three immediate impact starters on both sides of the ball, each with tremendous upside, is exactly what you hope for when laying the foundation of a rebuild.
If anything, this exercise provides a glimpse of the type of talent acquisitions the New Orleans Saints can realistically make later this month, and ultimately, just how quickly things could turn around in New Orleans.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: 2026 NFL mock draft: Saints pick Sonny Styles, Colton Hood, Chris Bell