Doug'S MOCK DRAFT
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Doug'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON JAN 29, 2026

The answer for the saints

  • Doug DRAFTING FOR THE
    Saints
Draft Selections
Cashius Howell Head Shot
PICK: 8 RND: 1 (NO)
Cashius Howell
DE-EDGE Texas A&M
Caleb Banks Head Shot
PICK: 42 RND: 2 (NO)
Caleb Banks
DE Florida
Nicholas Singleton Head Shot
PICK: 73 RND: 3 (NO)
Nicholas Singleton
RB Penn State
Ted Hurst Head Shot
PICK: 132 RND: 4 (NO)
Ted Hurst
WR Georgia State
Sam Roush Head Shot
PICK: 136 RND: 4 (NO)
Sam Roush
TE Stanford
Davison Igbinosun Head Shot
PICK: 148 RND: 5 (NO)
Davison Igbinosun
CB Ohio State
Eric Gentry Head Shot
PICK: 170 RND: 5 (NO)
Eric Gentry
LB USC
Mitchell Melton Head Shot
PICK: 188 RND: 6 (NO)
Mitchell Melton
LB-EDGE Virginia
Draft Grade — Saints
Overall B-
ValueC NeedA- TradesB- FutureB-
Good, not great, for the Saints: B-.

There is reaching, and then there is Mitchell Melton at the Round 6 slot. The Saints jumped the board by 117 and dared it to prove them wrong.

The offensive lineman spot stays a question, and it was the one they most needed an answer at. That is an edge rusher worth more than the slot they spent on him, plainly.

Bottom line, more hits than misses and a roster nudged the right way.

Pick Analysis
Pick8 Rnd1 Cashius Howell
In pick No. 8 they get a double-digit-sack hope, reach and all. The biggest hole, addressed.
Pick42 Rnd2 Caleb Banks
Caleb Banks in the Round 2 slot is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Pick73 Rnd3 Nicholas Singleton
They jumped the gun on Nicholas Singleton, taking him earlier than his grade liked. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Pick132 Rnd4 Ted Hurst
Ted Hurst at the 132nd overall pick is a clear overpay, with better names still on the board. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Pick136 Rnd4 Sam Roush
The board had cheaper options than Sam Roush at slot 136, and it noticed. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Pick148 Rnd5 Davison Igbinosun
Davison Igbinosun at Round 5, Pick 10 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Pick170 Rnd5 Eric Gentry
Eric Gentry in the 170th pick is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. A minor itch, scratched.
Pick188 Rnd6 Mitchell Melton
Mitchell Melton at the 188th overall pick is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.