jakob'S MOCK DRAFT
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jakob'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON JAN 18, 2026

2026 saints draft

  • jakob DRAFTING FOR THE
    Saints
Draft Selections
Jeremiyah Love Head Shot
PICK: 8 RND: 1 (NO)
Jeremiyah Love
RB Notre Dame
Anthony Hill Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 42 RND: 2 (NO)
Anthony Hill Jr.
LB Texas
Jacob Rodriguez Head Shot
PICK: 99 RND: 3 (NO)
Jacob Rodriguez
LB Texas Tech
Michael Trigg Head Shot
PICK: 132 RND: 4 (NO)
Michael Trigg
TE Baylor
Domani Jackson Head Shot
PICK: 137 RND: 4 (NO)
Domani Jackson
CB Alabama
CJ Daniels Head Shot
PICK: 149 RND: 5 (NO)
CJ Daniels
WR Miami
Zane Durant Head Shot
PICK: 171 RND: 5 (NO)
Zane Durant
DT Penn State
Isaiah Nwokobia Head Shot
PICK: 189 RND: 6 (NO)
Isaiah Nwokobia
S SMU
Draft Picks Received
Jacob Rodriguez Head Shot
PICK: 99 RND: 3 (PIT)
Jacob Rodriguez
LB Texas Tech
Draft Picks Traded
Emmett Johnson Head Shot
PICK: 73 RND: 3 (MIN)
Emmett Johnson
RB Nebraska
Players traded away
Head Shot
Spencer Rattler
QB
Draft Grade — Saints
Overall C+
ValueB NeedB TradesD FutureB-
A costly weekend of dealing drags the Saints to a C+.

You can lose a draft before you make a pick. The Saints did it at the trade table, overpaying to chase players the board did not price nearly as high.

They covered a lot of ground and still skipped edge rusher, which is a strange place to end up. The Rodriguez pick is fine in a vacuum, less so with edge rusher, offensive lineman and other spots still on the board.

The Daniels value carries more weight than any single miss elsewhere.

Call it incomplete, and check back in a couple of seasons.

Pick Analysis
Pick8 Rnd1 Jeremiyah Love
They did well to land Jeremiyah Love in Round 1, Pick 8, just ahead of his grade. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Pick42 Rnd2 Anthony Hill Jr.
Anthony Hill Jr. slipping to slot 42 is the kind of luck good rooms make for themselves. It adds depth where they could use a little.
Pick99 Rnd3 Jacob Rodriguez
The eyebrow-raiser of the weekend. They went linebacker with Jacob Rodriguez while clear needs at edge rusher, offensive lineman and other spots sat open.
Pick132 Rnd4 Michael Trigg
Michael Trigg at the 132nd pick is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the tight end. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Pick137 Rnd4 Domani Jackson
Domani Jackson at the 137th overall pick is a clear overpay, with better names still on the board. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Pick149 Rnd5 CJ Daniels
A slide stopped in No. 149, with CJ Daniels worth more than the price. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Pick171 Rnd5 Zane Durant
Good price on Zane Durant in pick 171, a hair ahead of his grade with no real quibbles. The roster fit checks out.
Pick189 Rnd6 Isaiah Nwokobia
Isaiah Nwokobia at pick No. 189 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.