The New Orleans Saints were absolutely one of the more fun stories in the NFL during the 2025 season. After a slow start and a Spencer Rattler benching, the Saints turned to then-rookie Tyler Shough, and all the Saints did was nearly win five games in a row to finish out the season.
On paper, this team is trending in the right direction, as the front office grabbed Jordyn Tyson in Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft, giving Chris Olave a running mate and Shough another weapon. Tyson joins running back Travis Etienne and David Edwards as notable new additions on offense.
On that side of the ball, the offense truly feels rather complete, and if Shough can make a year two leap, the Saints would be cooking with grease. But where this team could truly win is on the defensive side of the ball, as defensive coordinator Brandon Staley made quick work of that unit in 2025, and with this Christen Miller pick, the Saints continue to build in the right direction.
New Orleans Saints select Christen Miller in Round 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft
New Orleans takes some help in the trenches, grabbing the talented defensive tackle from Georgia. Miller is still just 21 years old and has great size at nearly 6-4 and 321lbs. He's the size of a nose tackle but does have the ability to play all over the defensive line, which is a rare skillset.
He's not a true nose tackle, which isn't a bad thing, so his versatility should be a welcome addition along the defensive line, and very quietly, the Saints scoring defense ranked 16th in the NFL, up from 19th the year prior.
Over the Saints last five games to close out the 2025 campaign, they allowed 20 points or less in four of those contests, so this unit is on the right track, and while the Saints could still use some help in the secondary, what's more important is the trench play.
Miller has all the traits you want as a future starter, and given that modern-day NFL defenses don't stay in their base defense all that often, Miller's ability to play all over the defensive line should be able to get him on the field rather quickly.
Don't look now, but the Saints, winners of six games in 2025, are building this foundation up and could be a sneaky-good squad in the NFC South in 2026.
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