The New Orleans Saints have some big needs this offseason, with a lot of the focus being on the offensive side of the ball to improve the team's offense around Tyler Shough.
Wide receiver, tight end, running back, or even offensive line help could be on the way, as early as the 8th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. But, if they don't go offense, there's one position the team will go with.
ESPN's Katherine Terrell predicts that, if the Saints go on the defensive side of the ball at 8th overall, the pick will likely be geared towards finding the heir to Cameron Jordan along the defensive line.
Saints predicted to find successor to Cameron Jordan in NFL Draft
"If they do take a defensive player with a high pick," Terrell writes, "it's more likely they would try to find another defensive end to complement Chase Young and Carl Granderson versus taking a linebacker."
While the Saints could also find a successor to linebacker Demario Davis, Terrell is predicting that the Saints would rather go with an heir for Jordan instead at 8th overall.
Taking an off-ball linebacker at 8th overall is a very rich pick to spend on such a position. While there might be a player like that in some classes, this one doesn't have the superstar linebacker that the Saints might find worth taking.
But when it comes to defensive linemen and pass rushers, there are some great options. Arvell Reese out of Ohio State is one name to watch, though he might be off the board before the Saints pick.
More: Cam Jordan says his wife will decide if he plays next year for Saints: 'I do what I'm told'
The same can be said for Miami's Ruben Bain and Texas Tech's David Bailey. These two would be incredible options at 8th overall, but the teams picking ahead of them might take these pass rushers.
If all of those options are off the board, then Kendrick Faulk out of Auburn, and Akheem Mesidor out of Miami might be the next best options, though if the top-3 pass rushers are all off the board, the Saints might be better suited going offense.
Jordan might not be back in 2026, but even if he does decide to play one more year, the Saints' exploring successors to Jordan makes a lot of sense.
While they could go a wide receiver 8th overall, if one of Bain, Bailey, or Reese were to be available, it would be hard to pass up on them to become the successor to Jordan after 16 years in New Orleans.
More Saints news:
- Chris Olave's contract extension update is great news for Saints fans
- Saints' Taysom Hill makes Super Bowl era NFL history with trio of 1,000-yard feats
- Is Taysom Hill retiring? Saints' fan favorite age, contract raise question
- Saints' Alontae Taylor gets $13 million free agent contract projection
- Saints get Tyler Shough prediction from ESPN that's dream scenario for fans
- Saints have two young defensive backs on ESPN's 2025 All-Rookie team