After picking Jordyn Tyson in the first round, everyone assumes the New Orleans Saints are going to bolster their defense in the second, and likely third, round. While it certainly makes sense, the Saints could shake the whole game plan up by picking Chase Bisontis or Emmanuel Pregnon.
This would follow the script of last year's draft. The Saints picked Kelvin Banks Jr. and Tyler Shough in the first round then prioritized defense for most of the remaining picks. You can't take this approach every season but building around Tyler Shough has been the theme of the 2026 offseason. Why stop now?
Picking a guard would seemingly set the foundation of the offense for years to come. First and foremost, the Saints have their quarterback in Shough. They have 2 first round picks at wide receiver, one of the highest paid running backs from this year's free agency class and Juwan Johnson who is coming off a career year as a supporting cast of weapons. You will need some depth at tight end and running back, but the starting foundation is there.
Saints could invest high in Cesar Ruiz's replacement
As for the offensive line, the Saints drafted two bookend tackles in the first round of the two previous drafts and paid David Edwards handsomely. There's no question those players are part of the long term vision of the team.
That leaves Erik McCoy and Cesar Ruiz. McCoy can answer if he's a part of the long term vision by simply staying healthy. He's played less than half of the games in back to back seasons. One more year like that and it'd be irresponsible to consider McCoy a long term option.
This aren't that simple for Ruiz. Mickey Loomis flat out told the media the team needs more out of Ruiz. That clear message of dissatisfaction was all that was needed to add fuel to the fire of fans calling for his replacement. At best, 2026 is a prove it year for Ruiz. He has no security as a long term part of the plan around Shough.
Fans likely want a defender in the second round, but picking Bisontis or Pregnon would give an instant replacement for Ruiz. It would likely even lead to a draft day trade to secure New Orleans a mid round pick. It also means you have the five pieces you'd like to be the future of your offensive line on your roster. In some ways, that feels like the final piece to the foundation around Tyler Shough.
Add us as a preferred source on Google