The New Orleans Saints saw their second-string and third-string receivers leave for other teams during the regular season. That led to a significant gap between Chris Olave and the rest of the players in the room, honestly making it a glaring need.
The need isn't lost on anyone, especially not CBS Sports' Josh Edwards. Edwards broke down every team's biggest need and landed on wide receiver for the Saints. Most time interior offensive line is at the top of the list, but receiver is usually high on the list and has been a position commonly mentioned among the fan base.
Free agency could be an option for the Saints, especially because Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Peirce is set to test free agency. However, his market value is projected to be around $20.2 million, near the top of the budget in New Orleans. The team would honestly find it easier to find their next WR2 this April.
Wide receiver should be on the short list of first round options
Heading into the draft this year, the Saints should have wide receiver as one of their top priorities. Thankfully, this year's class is filled with talent. One of the best in the class might be Arizona State's Jordyn Tyson, who was first team All-Big 12 for the past two years in a row. However, his injury history might be a concern for the Saints because his injuries have caused him to miss 18 games over the past four years.
One of the best options for the Saints might be Ohio State's Carnell Tate. Over the three years as a Buckeye, he's shown the ability to grab a football from anywhere, even a defender's hands. That's something that could fit in nicely for the Saints, because they've been in need of that contested catch receiver for the past few seasons. With the tape that Tate has, he could be that or maybe even more. The 2024 CFP National Champion is also considered to be one of the best of this class, like Tyson.
He's projected to go within the first half of the first round. Good thing the Saints sit pretty with the eighth overall selection. If they like him enough, he could very well easily be their first-round pick of the 2026 draft.