1st round trader'S MOCK DRAFT
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1st round trader'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON APR 2, 2026

2026 SAINTS MOCK DRAFT

  • 1st round trader DRAFTING FOR THE
    Saints
Draft Selections
Chris Bell Head Shot
PICK: 38 RND: 2 (NO)
Chris Bell
WR Louisville
D'Angelo Ponds Head Shot
PICK: 42 RND: 2 (NO)
D'Angelo Ponds
CB Indiana
Zachariah Branch Head Shot
PICK: 59 RND: 2 (NO)
Zachariah Branch
WR Georgia
Mike Washington Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 69 RND: 3 (NO)
Mike Washington Jr.
RB Arkansas
Eli Stowers Head Shot
PICK: 73 RND: 3 (NO)
Eli Stowers
TE Vanderbilt
Davison Igbinosun Head Shot
PICK: 132 RND: 4 (NO)
Davison Igbinosun
CB Ohio State
Harold Perkins Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 136 RND: 4 (NO)
Harold Perkins Jr.
LB LSU
Beau Stephens Head Shot
PICK: 150 RND: 5 (NO)
Beau Stephens
OG Iowa
Jeff Caldwell Head Shot
PICK: 172 RND: 5 (NO)
Jeff Caldwell
WR Cincinnati
Aaron Graves Head Shot
PICK: 190 RND: 6 (NO)
Aaron Graves
DT Iowa
Draft Picks Received
Chris Bell Head Shot
PICK: 38 RND: 2 (HOU)
Chris Bell
WR Louisville
Zachariah Branch Head Shot
PICK: 59 RND: 2 (HOU)
Zachariah Branch
WR Georgia
Mike Washington Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 69 RND: 3 (HOU)
Mike Washington Jr.
RB Arkansas
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 1 (HOU)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 7 (HOU)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
Draft Picks Traded
Kadyn Proctor Head Shot
PICK: 8 RND: 1 (HOU)
Kadyn Proctor
OT Alabama
Draft Grade — Saints
Overall B-
ValueB- NeedB TradesD+ FutureA
The steal of the weekend belongs to the Saints and Stowers: B-.

The board owed the Saints one, and it paid up: Eli Stowers, the No. 53 name on the board, sitting there at the 73rd pick like a gift left on the doorstep.

If this class has a fault line, it runs straight through edge rusher. The Caldwell reach is the anchor dragging on the value grade.

The trades cost them a sliver of value they did not need to spend. They went 6 of 8 on their needs, which is most of what a draft is for.

In sum, a sturdy weekend with one asterisk, the edge rusher spot they never got to.

Pick Analysis
Pick38 Rnd2 Chris Bell
No edge and no loss on Chris Bell in pick 38; it is a wash and a sensible one. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Pick42 Rnd2 D'Angelo Ponds
D'Angelo Ponds in Round 2, Pick 10 is fair value, right on his grade. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Pick59 Rnd2 Zachariah Branch
A market-rate wide receiver, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Zachariah Branch. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Pick69 Rnd3 Mike Washington Jr.
They took Mike Washington Jr. at par in the 69th pick, which is nothing to complain about. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Pick73 Rnd3 Eli Stowers
A top-tier tight end at a bargain, Eli Stowers in pick No. 73, plain and simple. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Pick132 Rnd4 Davison Igbinosun
Steal is underselling it; Davison Igbinosun at No. 132 is a heist with the alarm still ringing. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Pick136 Rnd4 Harold Perkins Jr.
Nothing to complain about; Harold Perkins Jr. went a shade earlier than his grade, which is fine. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
Pick150 Rnd5 Beau Stephens
Beau Stephens at slot 150 is a conviction pick that outran the value. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Pick172 Rnd5 Jeff Caldwell
A reach on Jeff Caldwell in the Round 5 slot; the board had better options right there. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Pick190 Rnd6 Aaron Graves
Aaron Graves at slot 190 jumps the queue by a touch more than is comfortable. It fills a real need, too.