Day 3 of the Draft is Here, Trust the Process. They Have Earned It.
Anthony Parker • April 25, 2026
The Draft still has a lot of great Talent left, and the Saints have five selections to make. Trust that they will continue to do well.
The first two days of the draft have gone by, and while some fan bases are still trying to comprehend their teams’ plans, the Saints have been pretty straightforward with theirs.
The Saints have embraced the fact that they are “not one player away” — Mickey Loomis.
They entered this draft with eight total picks and needs at almost every position group outside of quarterback. While many expected the Saints to be aggressive and make trades, this belief is reasonable because it’s something they’ve done with a high level of consistency for more than a decade. However, the Saints and their staff took a patient approach and allowed the draft to come to them.
And not just come to them, but they drafted positions that many knew were needs, yet weren’t anticipating the Saints to value at the time of selection.
The Saints drafted Jordyn Tyson in Round 1 with the eighth overall pick. In the next two rounds, they selected two Georgia Bulldog teammates. First, Christen Miller, an interior defensive lineman, with the forty-second overall pick. Then in the third round, they picked Oscar Delp with the seventy-third overall pick.
On the surface, these are not picks that will set the internet on fire. These are not headline-grabbing selections, but for the Saints, these are franchise-forward moves.
The additions of Miller and Delp strengthen position groups the Saints have struggled to build over the past five years. Consistency along the interior defensive front is one of the main reasons the Saints have gone from one of the best run defenses in the league to one of the worst.
Additionally, having a consistent, well-rounded tight end who can put his hand in the dirt and block, while also possessing the ability to split out wide, run routes, and catch passes, is something that has been missing since Jared Cook and Drew Brees walked off the field together after losing to the Bucs in the playoffs.
Many were expecting the Saints to select a defensive back, which is a reasonable expectation considering the need there, and possibly another running back. But the selections made on the second day of the draft show just how committed they are to fully completing this roster by taking their time and adding young players who have proven success at high levels but still possess upside and room for development.
With Day 3 of the draft now here, Saints fans should expect the same approach — being patient and striking when it’s most advantageous for the team.
Do not be worried. There is still plenty of high-level talent remaining on the board, and the Saints have done nothing but earn more confidence that they will select the best players available for the position groups they feel need to be addressed.
A guy like Keionte Scott would be a good fit in Brandon Staley’s defense. Mike Washington is still available if they want to add more youth to the running back room. There is also Pat Coogan, the senior leader of the offensive line for the National Champion Indiana Hoosiers, who would be another solid late-round addition for needed depth along the offensive line.
The process for the Saints has been clear: get younger, get more explosive, and build around Tyler Shough.
The approach has been great, and while many may see this draft class as average, this could end up being another 2017 class — and that draft class was a pass interference call away from playing in another Super Bowl.
A quick share helps us a lot!
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.