New Orleans Saints fans are eager for intel on their team's draft plans, and few reporters will be as clued in to the 2026 NFL Draft as Adam Schefter. The ESPN insider shared the outlook for all 32 teams on his self-titled Adam Schefter Podcast, including the Saints. What's he hearing? Whether it's a wide receiver like Carnell Tate (Ohio State) or Jordyn Tyson (Arizona State), or a talented pass rusher like Rueben Bain Jr. (Miami), Schefter suggests the Saints have already set themselves up for success by finding their quarterback a year ago.
"Yeah, I've heard a couple of things here," Schefter started. "They certainly could use another weapon for Tyler Shough. And by the way, the Saints, to their credit, nailed Tyler Shough last year. Didn't get a lot of attention as the year went on last year, but they got him in Round 2, and he looked like a big-time, bona fide starting NFL quarterback. It looks like they've found their quarterback of the future. So now do you get him another weapon on the outside, whether that's Tate or Tyson, here, at number eight? Do you go with Rueben Bain, and there're people who don't believe Bain would get past New Orleans' turn, as a pass rusher? So we'll see how that one plays out here.
"But where the Saints take comfort is knowing that they don't have to worry about a quarterback right now. They've got Tyler Shough."
Mickey Loomis has often argued that no one should put too high of expectations on Shough -- the general manager has reminded us that "it was only nine starts" in almost every public appearance this offseason -- but it's obvious that his early success was encouraging. New Orleans spent big on free agents like left guard David Edwards, running back Travis Etienne Jr., and linebacker Kaden Elliss because they felt Shough gives them a baseline to build off of. He gave them expectations to work with. His team's actions speak louder than his words.
That approach extends to this draft. Schefter highlighted two wide receivers who could give Shough a high-end weapon to pair with Chris Olave. Bain could line up all over the defensive front and pressure quarterbacks alongside Chase Young and Bryan Bresee, leading to drive-killing sacks, turnovers, and favorable field position for Shough and the New Orleans offense. They're in a good position to get a contributor with the eighth pick without having to trade up to the top of the board. If Shough is as legit as the Saints think, they won't be picking this high again for quite some time.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: 2026 NFL Draft: Saints link to Carnell Tate, Jordyn Tyson, Rueben Bain