One of the biggest questions asked each NFL off-season is, which prospects should each team consider taking? That's why mock drafts are so prominent around the media landscape, as fans love to discuss who they believe would be the best option for their respective teams. Unfortunately, usually they get thrown out the window with one random unexpected pick or trade which completely throws off the whole cadence of projected picks.
Another big question that is asked, is which prospects should be avoided for various reasons. Whether that be medical concerns, lack of production, legitimate character setbacks, or less than impressive athletic testing, there's plenty of ways to improve or negate stock. In this article, we will focus on players the Saints should avoid taking in round one, based on one or multiple concerns surrounding their futures rather than preference or eye test. So without further ado, let's kick things off.
Bain is an exceptional prospect, let's not get things wrong, he has exceptional explosiveness and a great read of the game that has led him to be quite strong in the run game the vast majority of the time. However, two major concerns pop off the page with Bain, those being arm length and consistency of production.
The arm length concern has been floated around for plenty of time now, as Bain sits well in the lower percentages of defensive end prospects in that regard at 30 ⅞-inch arms. While I am not a huge proponent of measurements making or breaking a player in every instance that someone is an inch off in hand size or things to that degree, he is in a tough spot. If he doesn't land initial contact on a lineman, he typically loses the rep, which is going to happen a lot against NFL tackles who have him beat in that category.
As for production, Bain has always been an active pressure player, posting 67 in 2025, but only picking up 9.5 sacks across 16 total games. In 38 games at Miami, he had 20.5, which is acceptable but not outstanding. His run defense will no doubt make him a high ceiling player, but the Saints could be looking for something more at pick eight.
As an active member of the group of Saints followers who believes they should consider wide receiver in the first two rounds, I like the positional value and concept of taking one round one. Carnell Tate and Jordyn Tyson are both talented players to consider at pick No. 8, and there are lots of options in the second round at No. 42. However, Makai Lemon has concerns to take into account, especially when it comes to a fit with the Saints more than anything.
His measurements are a big part of that, as he is a sub-six-foot wideout with sub-nine-inch hands, despite having a good weight profile at 192 pounds. Even at this size, he ran a roughly 4.48-4.53 40-yard dash at his pro day, which is solid, but at that size, less than impressive. It does show in his game at times, as his separation throughout the stem of routes is hit or miss.
This is not a commonly mocked pick so far for the Saints, but his meteoric rise during the pre-draft process has put him in that range. He is a bit of the opposite compared to Lemon, as he has outstanding size for his position and tested highly in his reps.
The issue with Freeling is a bit more shown in his tape than the measurables, and has been called into question by various scouts previously. That being his hand placement and run blocking. Yes, he is very proficient at protecting the passer in most cases, which is great, truly. The problem is that he struggles to set himself into a position where he can make strong blocks to create gaps, primarily because of technique and hand placement, trying to make up for lesser lateral agility with a lean.
While this is more a technical concern than a physical or production one, it is a major setback, and one a team would have to heavily invest coaching resources into fixing. The Saints have looked at tackles during this pre-draft process, but avoiding Freeling and opting for other options, preferably at other positions, would be optimal.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: 2026 NFL Draft: 3 prospects Saints should avoid in Round 1