Per NewOrleans.Football's Nick Underhill, the New Orleans Saints are having dinner with various Ohio State prospects on Tuesday night. This includes Sonny Styles, Arvell Reese, Caleb Downs, Carnell Tate, Kayden McDonald, and Tywone Malone. This is making a potential draft strategy for the Saints clear: when in doubt, draft Ohio State players. Although this is simple, it could result in an elite outcome.
Ohio State has established themselves as a factory for NFL players. The Buckeyes had the most players drafted in 2025 with an impressive 14 selections, which is the second highest number in the seven-round era. They’ve been able to consistently develop players and turn them into valuable contributors at the next level.
Ohio State is likely to reach a similar number in 2026. They have a mix of top round-one talent, impactful mid-round players, and day-three gems. Because of this, there won’t be a shortage of possibilities of former Buckeyes for the Saints to choose from.
The Saints meeting with a variety of Ohio State players is a great sign
Ohio State’s track record of producing elite players is important, but each of these prospects are uber-talented and can impact the Saints immediately. This meeting is valuable for the team as they can get to know a variety of elite prospects at one time, while they are still feeling comfortable with their teammates. More formal meetings will come, but this is an amazing sign for fans.
Obviously, the Saints won’t be looking to draft exclusively Ohio State players; however, they should put a concentrated effort on selecting some, especially in round one. There are four former Buckeyes the Saints need to consider in round one: the explosive wide receiver Carnell Tate, the versatile safety Caleb Downs, the all-around game-wrecking linebacker Sonny Styles, or the edge/linebacker hybrid Arvell Reese.
Take Ohio State out of the equation. The Saints are in the market for a wide receiver and edge rusher in the first round. Tate and Reese check that box. The Saints may not need a linebacker desperately, but Styles is just that good. Same could be said for Downs but the Saints also need a slot player. Downs supersedes the positional value conversation and addresses a critical need for the team.
When the Saints are on the clock at 8, Reese is the player with the longest odds to be on the board. Still, it doesn't hurt to get a read on the player. He may fall far enough to entice a trade up from the Saints. The other three players could all be on the board. At the worst, one of the prospects should be remaining.