The New Orleans Saints wide receiver room is questionable outside of Chris Olave. They traded Rashid Shaheed at the deadline and cut Brandin Cooks. This leaves Olave and Devaughn Vele, who’s been inconsistent this year, as the primary options. The Saints must address wide receiver this offseason, luckily for them, this draft class is stacked with them.
The Saints will have reinforcements coming off injured reserve next year. Bub Means, Trey Palmer, and Ja’Lynn Polk haven’t played a snap this year but could be impactful. Regardless, they aren’t enough to elevate the team on their own. The Saints still need to add a star this offseason.
This receiver class is deep. There are players at virtually every archetype that could develop into a star at the next level. This gives the Saints flexibility as they can pick a player who could complement Olave and Vele well.
The Saints have tons of options to choose from
There’s talent and value at receiver in every round of the NFL Draft. They can, but aren’t forced to select a receiver in the first round.
Here’s a breakdown of some archetypes and players who could fit them:
Dynamic, contested catch receiver: Denzel Boston
This archetype fits a number of players, but I’m going to highlight Washington wide receiver Denzel Boston. The 6’4” receiver has 62 receptions for 880 yards and 11 touchdowns in his 11 games this season. He blends amazing size with great athleticism, the ability to highpoint a ball and reel it in despite contact, and a good route runner. Boston is likely a late first round pick or early second rounder the Saints could invest in.
Twitchy route runner: Brenen Thompson
Mississippi State wide receiver Brenen Thompson is a terrific middle-round option. The 5’9”, 180 LBs receiver has world-class speed and is a quick accelerator and decelerator which makes it challenging for any cornerback to stay with him. Despite his size, he’s a fantastic option in the third or fourth round.
YAC threat: KC Concepcion
Texas A&M star KC Concepcion is as dynamic as they come after the catch. He has 57 receptions, 886 yards, and nine touchdowns so far this season. In addition to being a YAC threat, he’s a good route runner and has the ability to reel in contested catches. Concepcion will likely be available in the early second round with the possibility of sneaking into round one.
The New Orleans Saints lucked out with an outstanding wide receiver class in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft. They need to figure out what they need to complement their offense and what receiver can fill that role.