Vanderbroski'S MOCK DRAFT
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Vanderbroski'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON APR 17, 2026

LemonToTheSaints

  • Vanderbroski DRAFTING FOR THE
    Saints
Draft Selections
Makai Lemon Head Shot
PICK: 8 RND: 1 (NO)
Makai Lemon
WR USC
Chris Johnson Head Shot
PICK: 42 RND: 2 (NO)
Chris Johnson
CB San Diego State
Lee Hunter Head Shot
PICK: 56 RND: 2 (NO)
Lee Hunter
DT Texas Tech
Justin Joly Head Shot
PICK: 132 RND: 4 (NO)
Justin Joly
TE NC State
Harold Perkins Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 136 RND: 4 (NO)
Harold Perkins Jr.
LB LSU
Jaeden Roberts Head Shot
PICK: 150 RND: 5 (NO)
Jaeden Roberts
OG Alabama
Zane Durant Head Shot
PICK: 194 RND: 6 (NO)
Zane Durant
DT Penn State
Eric McAlister Head Shot
PICK: 225 RND: 7 (NO)
Eric McAlister
WR TCU
Draft Picks Received
Lee Hunter Head Shot
PICK: 56 RND: 2 (JAX)
Lee Hunter
DT Texas Tech
Zane Durant Head Shot
PICK: 194 RND: 6 (TEN)
Zane Durant
DT Penn State
Eric McAlister Head Shot
PICK: 225 RND: 7 (TEN)
Eric McAlister
WR TCU
Draft Picks Traded
Drew Shelton Head Shot
PICK: 73 RND: 3 (JAX)
Drew Shelton
OT Penn State
Marlin Klein Head Shot
PICK: 172 RND: 5 (JAX)
Marlin Klein
TE Michigan
Travis Burke Head Shot
PICK: 190 RND: 6 (TEN)
Travis Burke
OT Memphis
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 5 (LV)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
Players traded away
Head Shot
Kendre Miller
RB
Head Shot
Nick Saldiveri
OT
Draft Grade — Saints
Overall B-
ValueB NeedB+ TradesC- FutureB-
Larceny in pick No. 225 lands the Saints a B-, McAlister and all.

The Saints did not reach, did not trade up, did not blink. They just waited, and Eric McAlister fell into the 225th pick.

Leaving edge rusher unaddressed is the roster risk they will have to answer for in the fall. The dealing tilted against them, just enough to notice.

A competent weekend that does not make headlines and does not need to.

Pick Analysis
Pick8 Rnd1 Makai Lemon
In pick No. 8 they get a difference-maker at receiver. Exactly the need they had to hit.
Pick42 Rnd2 Chris Johnson
They read the board right and Chris Johnson was the payoff at slot 42. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Pick56 Rnd2 Lee Hunter
Lee Hunter at pick 56 is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the interior defensive lineman. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Pick132 Rnd4 Justin Joly
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing Justin Joly in No. 132. The roster fit checks out.
Pick136 Rnd4 Harold Perkins Jr.
They paid sticker price for Harold Perkins Jr. in the Round 4 slot, and that is fine. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
Pick150 Rnd5 Jaeden Roberts
No drama and no debate, Jaeden Roberts went about where he belonged in the 150th overall pick. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Pick194 Rnd6 Zane Durant
Value with a capital V on Zane Durant in Round 6, Pick 13, a genuine coup. It fills a real need, too.
Pick225 Rnd7 Eric McAlister
A wide receiver of that caliber at the 225th pick is the definition of value, full stop. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.