There hasn't been much for New Orleans Saints fans to cheer for this season but the team earned its third win of the season on Sunday with a win over the NFC South rival Buccaneers. As fun as it was to beat up on a dejected Bucs squad, the win will be a costly one for the Saints.
The Saints' draft position has been a constant source of conversation amongst the fan base. Do you want to win games with Tyler Shough or tank for draft position? If you're in the latter group, it was a rough day for you.
Not only were the Saints in the running for the top pick in the draft before but winning that game in Tampa bumped New Orleans out of the top three picks. Oof.
Where would the Saints sit in 2026 NFL Draft order?
Number | Team | Record | Strength of Schedule |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | New York Giants | 2-11 | .537 |
2 | Las Vegas Raiders | 2-11 | .551 |
3 | Tennessee Titans | 2-11 | .571 |
4 | Cleveland Browns | 3-10 | .486 |
5 | New Orleans Saints | 3-10 | .498 |
6 | Washington Commanders | 3-10 | .514 |
7 | New York Jets | 3-10 | .541 |
8 | Arizona Cardinals | 3-10 | .568 |
9 | Los Angeles Rams (via Atlanta Falcons) | 4-9 | .502 |
10 | Cincinnati Bengals | 4-9 | .523 |
Not only did the Saints fall out of the top three but they're now sitting with the fifth pick in the draft. That's a far cry from where they had previously been coming into this Week 14 matchup against the Buccaneers.
The good news is that, while the sample size is small, Tyler Shough appears to be a quarterback the Saints can build around so while the other quarterback-needy teams around them in the draft will zero in on signal-callers, New Orleans can nab the best available player overall. Whether that ends up being an offensive lineman to protect Shough, a wide receiver for Shough to throw to, or some defensive help remains to be seen, but it's a nice silver lining to think about.
For now though, it's easy to see why Saints fans would be frustrated about this win. For teams eliminated from postseason contention, the attention turns to draft positioning and getting the best pick as possible. That being said, players and coaches want to win games and for a young Saints team, this win could give them a confidence boost down the stretch. Maybe that can propel them to compete in a weak NFC South next year and beyond.