2026 NFL Draft Day 3 Recap
Kaden Arkeder • April 26, 2026
The Saints had a busy day three today making five selections, spanning rounds four through seven in the draft. They were pretty patient and comfortable sticking and picking this year as they once again did not trade up to go get a player. Kudos to Mickey Loomis and the front office for not giving up any picks to maximize their chances for success. So let’s get into the selections they made today.
In the fourth round the Saints picked offensive guard Jeremiah Wright out of Auburn and wide receiver Bryce Lance out of North Dakota State. Jeremiah will join the team and look to make an impact as a key developmental backup behind starters David Edwards and Cesar Ruiz. He has an interesting background having played defensive tackle up until two years ago and developing to the point of becoming a fourth round draft pick. Him being selected so high given his situation is a testament to his work ethic and his talent which was highlighted with how well he did down at the Senior Bowl this year. With their other pick in the fourth round the Saints selected Bryce Lance who will look to become a key role player in the wide receiver room. Lance brings a combination of size and speed to the room no one else quite has confirmed by his 9.94 RAS score. Lance was a focal point for the North Dakota State offense and was always a threat to score with his explosiveness to get vertical down the field or run away from defenders with his 4.34 speed.
Moving ahead to the fifth round where the Saints were scheduled to have two picks before they traded the 150th pick to the Raiders for defensive end Tyree Wilson and the 219th pick. So with the 172nd pick the Saints selected safety Lorenzo Styles Jr out of Ohio State. He is another high RAS score prospect with Styles reaching an insane 9.99 RAS score. Styles is ridiculously athletic but still relatively raw as a safety with his coverage and tackling consistency. Look for him to contribute on special teams and providing depth to the secondary.
Moving on the sixth round where the Saints selected wide receiver/return specialist Barion Brown out of LSU. The importance of special teams cannot be overstated as it was a key issue for the team last season and this selection was an attempt to get the special teams back to where it needs to be. Browns path to contributing to the team looks for him to be squarely in the mix as the main returner on special teams. Brown had over 2k return yards during his collegiate career and looked dynamic with the ball in his hands. When he is not returning he has a chance to contribute as a gadget type of player on offense.
Looking ahead to the seventh round where the Saints selected defensive back TJ Hall out of Iowa. Hall deviates some from the rest of his peers in his draft class as his RAS only came in at 5.32. While his athletic score may be lower he makes up for it with his instincts and his smarts on the field. Hall has a good feel for zone and plays the run well. He has an opportunity to carve out a role on special teams and providing depth as a versatile defensive back.
Recapping the Saints draft class as a whole -
1st round - WR Jordyn Tyson
2nd round - DT Christen Miller
3rd round - TE Oscar Delp
4th round - OG Jeremiah Wright and WR Bryce Lance
5th round - SAF Lorenzo Styles Jr.
6th round - WR/RS Barion Brown
7th round - DB TJ Hall
Offense was definitely a theme and focus of this draft class. This class shows the Saints clear belief in Tyler Shough and wanted to surround him with as much talent as they can to aid his development. Between free agency and now the draft I believe the offense will look much different next season. The players they have added will bring some much needed explosiveness and depth to the offensive side of the ball. The Saints came into the draft with their number one goal of addressing wide receiver as it was clearly the worst group on the roster and with the picks of Tyson, Lance they might have turned a weakness into a legit strength going into next season. Also the addition of Oscar Delp could really be a wildcard with this draft class as someone who can really surprise us once the pads are put back on again.
With so much focus on the offensive side of the ball the defensive side felt neglected some with the only pick on that side of the ball in the first two days of the draft being Christen Miller in round two. But Miller did address arguably the biggest need on the defensive side of the ball as an interior defensive lineman considering how they fared last season with the run defense. I liked the picks of Styles and Hall later in the draft as players who differ in their profiles but can bring the Saints value through special teams. I can see the Saints prioritizing adding to the defensive side of the ball in the draft come next year but I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself there.
Offense was definitely a theme and focus of this draft class. This class shows the Saints clear belief in Tyler Shough and wanted to surround him with as much talent as they can to aid his development. Between free agency and now the draft I believe the offense will look much different next season. The players they have added will bring some much needed explosiveness and depth to the offensive side of the ball. The Saints came into the draft with their number one goal of addressing wide receiver as it was clearly the worst group on the roster and with the picks of Tyson, Lance they might have turned a weakness into a legit strength going into next season. Also the addition of Oscar Delp could really be a wildcard with this draft class as someone who can really surprise us once the pads are put back on again.
With so much focus on the offensive side of the ball the defensive side felt neglected some with the only pick on that side of the ball in the first two days of the draft being Christen Miller in round two. But Miller did address arguably the biggest need on the defensive side of the ball as an interior defensive lineman considering how they fared last season with the run defense. I liked the picks of Styles and Hall later in the draft as players who differ in their profiles but can bring the Saints value through special teams. I can see the Saints prioritizing adding to the defensive side of the ball in the draft come next year but I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself there.
All in all the Saints came out of the draft having made eight draft picks and were able to get younger, faster, and more talented at key positions. I’d say this was a successful draft for them but only time will tell. So now we anxiously await to see how these guys look when they step on the practice field. I for one cannot wait and I’m sure you all can’t either.
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The Saints went through the offseason making major investments around rising starting quarterback Tyler Shough, but one of their biggest investments came along the offensive line. If the Saints want to have more success and improve upon the way they closed out the 2025 season, it has to start with the group controlling the line of scrimmage. The Saints have invested a great deal of high-end draft capital into the offensive line over the past several seasons. They have finally answered the questions at both tackle spots and have solidified the center position with Erik McCoy. Now, however, McCoy enters his eighth season with questions of his own. Can the veteran center make it through an entire season healthy? Alongside McCoy, the Saints had questions at both guard positions, but the free-agent acquisition of David Edwards answers one of those concerns. Edwards was the top available offensive lineman in free agency this year and immediately solidifies the left guard spot. That leaves right guard as the final position up for grabs, currently occupied by veteran Cesar Ruiz. Ruiz is entering the seventh year of his career after being selected in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft out of Michigan as a center. It was a questionable selection at the time, considering the Saints had drafted McCoy in the second round just one year earlier. Despite not having a first-round pick in 2019, McCoy stepped in as a rookie and played exceptionally well. This is a contract year for Ruiz, so he must prove that he is a dependable guard capable of holding onto his starting job. However, the leash on that position may have gotten much shorter. The Saints used a fourth-round pick in this year's draft on Jeremiah Wright, a road-grading offensive guard with outstanding size, athleticism, and strength. Wright still has areas of his game that need refinement, but through training camp and the preseason, he could push Ruiz to either elevate his play or lose the starting job altogether. If either of those scenarios plays out, the Saints will have a significantly improved offensive line, and that should translate into a much better offense overall. Follow AP on X , as well as his podcast Timeouts & Tangents
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