Saints projected to draft Ohio State standout, just not WR Carnell Tate originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The New Orleans Saints are entering the 2026 NFL Draft with the No. 8 pick. While they are in a great spot to land an instant-impact player, there are plenty of avenues the team could go down.
One of the more popular pairings for the Saints leading up to the draft has been with an Ohio State playmaker in wide receiver Carnell Tate.
In ESPN's Peter Schragers latest mock draft, the Saints do go with an Ohio State player with the No. 8 pick, but it's not Tate. Instead, Schrager has the Saints taking defensive back Caleb Downs with this pick.
"New Orleans needs a receiver, but it also lost a lot of talent on defense this offseason," Schrager writes. "... Brandon Staley got the most out of Derwin James Jr. in Los Angeles, and he can do the same for Downs in New Orleans."
The Saints do need defensive back help, especially in the wake of losing Alontae Taylor in free agency to the Tennessee Titans.
Downs, the Ohio State safety, would be a fascinating pick for the Saints. While Tate might be the popular selection, Downs makes some sense.
This past season for the Buckeyes defense, he had two forced fumbles and two interceptions to go with 45 solo tackles.
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He's had two interceptions every year of his college career, including his freshman year at Alabama under Nick Saban.
There's plenty to like about Downs, who could be the best player in this year's draft, and it would not be a surprise. But the positional value of a safety does give some teams pause with Downs.
Safety's aren't valued highly in the NFL, but if the Saints could get an elite defensive back for Brandon Staley's defense, then the Saints should make the pick.
And besides, Schrager's mock draft has Tate going off the board one pick before the Saints to the Washington Commanders, so in such a scenario, Downs would be an incredible fallback option.
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