The New Orleans Saints re-signed veteran safety Julian Blackmon this past week to a one-year, $1.5 million contract. He suffered a season ending injury in week one, so he wasn’t able to show his value to the team, but made a big enough impression to be brought back. This is a great signing for the Saints and will help bolster a position that lacks depth, however, it makes it less likely that they draft Ohio State safety Caleb Downs with the eight overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Blackmon was signed late in the offseason after Tyrann Mathieu announced his retirement. He was a training camp standout and earned a starting role in week one. Unfortunately, he tore his labrum and was put on injured reserve, thus ending his season.
This injury was terrible for Blackmon, but it did open up a larger opportunity for rookie Jonas Sanker. The veteran is expected to be a solid depth piece next year, but won’t contend for the starting role.
Drafting Caleb Downs isn’t off the table, but it is far more unlikely
Although the Saints re-signed Blackmon, selecting Downs is still a possibility. They still need top-end talent opposite of Sanker and could invest in star safety. Justin Reid was solid in 2025, but is a trade candidate this offseason. Plus, Downs is a prospect the Saints could view as can't miss. It's not as if he still can't fit within the offense.
There are bigger needs than the secondary for the Saints now, however. For instance, a weapon for Tyler Shough, an edge rusher, or a guard are all bigger needs than safety. It still needs to be addressed, but it's much less of a priority. Rather, they could use a later round pick to find one, similarly to what they did with Sanker.
Overall, the re-signing of Julian Blackmon was a great addition, and it means the Saints are much less likely to select Caleb Downs in the first round of the NFL Draft. It’s still a possibility, but probably won’t be the number one option.