The Saints earned their second win of the season and Tyler Shough looked the part of a franchise quarterback. And while it’s only his second start, he’s given fans reason to be optimistic in what has been a depressing season all around.
However, there is still a large segment of the fanbase that is (mildly) upset about the win as it could hurt their chances of earning a top-three selection in the 2026 NFL Draft. It’s an understandable gripe as the Saints need high-end talent and this isn’t the deepest draft class.
It’s vital that they earn a top pick, especially if they feel the need to take another quarterback. However, the win over the Panthers didn’t hurt them as much as you would expect.
Saints still own the No. 2 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft
Despite the Week 10 win, the Saints did not move a single spot in the draft order. According to Tankathon, they would own the No. 2 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft if the season ended today due to a lower strength of the schedule.
The Saints have moved into a tie with the Giants for the No. 2 spot, but there are three other teams right now with two wins. We still have a lot of action left in the season and multiple two-win teams still have to play one another. Those contests alone will shake up the draft order. The Saints also benefited from other lower-level teams winning in Week 10, including the Jets and the Dolphins.
The Saints must earn a top pick for the long-term health of the franchise, but the No. 1 goal for the remainder of the season should be the development of Shough. If he shows enough progress where the Saints feel like they don’t need to draft a quarterback, that would be a huge win. Plus, it would be nice to see Kellen Moore and his staff start to win games and turn the culture around in New Orleans.
It's tough to project the Saints winning many more games this season, and it would be a shock if they didn’t pick inside the top-five in next year’s draft. They can still win a few more games and accomplish that goal, and that’s exactly how things played out in Week 10 for the Saints. A win against a division rival, and they didn’t move in the draft order. Not a bad week. Not at all.