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 Black and Gold (which one?) will be looking to continue their winning streak across the pond, surrounded by political unrest.
Tiger-on-Tiger/Plainsmen/War Eagle action today as LSU renews its battle with Auburn! This game is a favorite for both fan bases, as it usually involves big plays, superstar heroics, and even some interesting home-field advantages. LSU and Auburn have not played each other since 2023, when the Tigers of Baton Rouge defeated Auburn 48-18. That game was one of the rare blowouts in this series. Unfortunately, with the new nine-game SEC schedule, these two programs will no longer play each other every season. Now, both programs have a lot of hope surrounding them. Lane Kiffin was once courted by the Auburn Tigers, and it was widely believed that, at the end of the 2022 season, Kiffin would make the jump from Oxford to Auburn. However, he decided to stay with the Rebels for three more years. That's when THE Tigers came calling, and this time around, Lane Kiffin decided that Baton Rouge was the better fit for himself and his family. Auburn, on the other hand, has made a few coaching changes since the Kiffin courtship fell through, and now first-year head coach Alex Golesh has this Auburn program feeling very confident about itself. Auburn is coming off one of its biggest victories in the past decade after upsetting No. 1 Georgia on the road last week in Athens. Golesh has Auburn playing a QB-run-heavy offense, as transfer quarterback Byrum Brown leads the team in both rushing and passing. The dual-threat quarterback currently has over 400 rushing yards and more than 1,200 yards through the air. Brown has also added five touchdowns on the ground and another eight through the air. If LSU is going to win this game, the Tigers will have to deal with Brown. The Tigers cannot allow Brown to run downhill. It will be important for Blake Baker to have his defense operate with controlled aggression. The pass rush must maintain lane integrity, avoid rushing past the quarterback's depth, and prevent him from having a free lane to escape. It's important to note that Princewill Umanmielen left last week's game with an apparent head injury but will be a full go for today's matchup. Having one of the nation's sack leaders available will be a major boost, especially considering that true freshman five-star defensive tackle Richard Anderson will be out. Anderson underwent some type of surgery yesterday. However, after speaking with sources close to the situation, it does not appear that this will cause Anderson to miss the remainder of the season. There is currently no official timeline for his return. The defense needs to confuse Brown with its coverage and take away his first read, allowing the pass rush to collapse the pocket. Force him to escape toward one side of the field rather than stepping straight up through the middle, and have a defender available at every level to limit his mobility. Gang tackling is also a must against this monster. Brown is a 6-foot-4, 235-pound quarterback, and so far, he is the biggest quarterback the Tigers will face. On offense, LSU will have to account for rising star linebacker Elijah Melendez. Melendez's emergence as a defensive star is significant for Auburn, especially after the program removed All-SEC linebacker and former LSU Tiger Xavier Atkins from the team this week. Having Melendez step up and provide that caliber of play in Atkins' absence is a major positive for Auburn. The Auburn defense is not one that overwhelms opposing offenses. Instead, it is very opportunistic. If you make a mistake, the Tigers will capitalize on it, but they can be caught making mistakes themselves. Defensive coordinator DJ Durkin runs an aggressive, multiple defensive scheme. He will blitz from different levels of the field and stress the offensive line's blocking assignments. However, if the blitz is correctly identified, his defense can find itself in trouble. Auburn has struggled with missed tackles and blown coverages so far this season. Kiffin is very familiar with Durkin and his defense, as Durkin served as the co-defensive coordinator at Ole Miss in 2020 and 2021. LSU should look to establish the running game early, force Durkin to show his hand, and dictate the matchups it wants in the passing game. Matchups will be vital in this game, especially with the Tigers getting back a major offensive weapon in Trey'Dez Green. Having Green back, even in a limited capacity, will help LSU create and dictate the matchups it wants to exploit against Auburn's defense. LSU enters this game as a 7.5-point road favorite, and on paper, it's understandable why. LSU has more talent and should have the coaching advantage. But this is also LSU vs. Auburn, and both fan bases are well aware that this game has historically been tightly contested, regardless of who is coaching or playing quarterback for either program. The 2019 LSU team was held in check by Auburn, which limited that historic Tigers offense to its lowest point total and smallest margin of victory of the season. That year, Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, and Justin Jefferson were only able to put up 23 points against a stingy Auburn defense, narrowly escaping with a 23-20 victory at home in Death Valley. This will definitely be a fun game to watch. I'm taking the Tigers from Baton Rouge in a 34-26 victory. LSU has to end this two-year road losing streak, and that should happen today.