2026 NFL Draft Recap: Day 2
Kaden Arkeder • April 25, 2026
With the 42nd pick in the draft, the New Orleans Saints picked defensive tackle Christen Miller out of Georgia. Christen Miller is a big defensive tackle
prospect, measuring in at 6’4 and 320 pounds, who will make an impact on early downs against the run while he continues to grow as a pass rusher. The Saints have a strong need for young talent at the defensive tackle position with veterans Nathan Shepard and Davon Gochaux entering free agency after the upcoming season. Miller looks to be the latest of recent impact defenders to come out of Georgia as they have produced NFL talents like Mykell Williams, Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, and others.
prospect, measuring in at 6’4 and 320 pounds, who will make an impact on early downs against the run while he continues to grow as a pass rusher. The Saints have a strong need for young talent at the defensive tackle position with veterans Nathan Shepard and Davon Gochaux entering free agency after the upcoming season. Miller looks to be the latest of recent impact defenders to come out of Georgia as they have produced NFL talents like Mykell Williams, Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, and others.
Then, with the 73rd pick, the Saints went back to Georgia to select the 6’5 245 pound tight end, Oscar Delp. Delp is an intriguing prospect because his athleticism is elite, and he comes into the league known more for his blocking rather than his pass catching ability. But when he did catch passes, there was a good chance he was about to have a highlight-level play. There is a growing belief that Georgia has a hard time maximizing their pass-catching talent based on recent success from NFL talents like Ladd McConkey, George Pickens, and others. So it would not surprise me in the slightest if Delp looks like a much better player in a different environment more conducive to his success. Delp will bring balance to the tight end room to give a much needed blocking presence which should allow him to get on the field and show he can contribute in the passing game to get more snaps.
So far, the Saints have addressed wide receiver, defensive tackle, and tight end. All in all, I would say it’s been a good draft for them thus far. They have been able to address key spots on offense and defense. Look for them to be active on day three as they have multiple fourth and fifth round picks to either pick with or navigate the draft board with. I believe they’ll continue to take a balanced approach to addressing each side of the ball the rest of the way, with the goal of adding much needed depth to the roster. Day three becomes a bit more of a wildcard day, so I won’t be doing a key names to look out for this go around. Alright, one more day to go, talk to you all again tomorrow to recap day three and the draft as a whole.
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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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