bleach51'S MOCK DRAFT

bleach51'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON APR 8, 2026

Blair Mock 1

  • bleach51 DRAFTING FOR THE
    Saints
Draft Selections
Makai Lemon Head Shot
PICK: 18 RND: 1 (NO)
Makai Lemon
WR USC
Caleb Banks Head Shot
PICK: 49 RND: 2 (NO)
Caleb Banks
DL Florida
Jake Golday Head Shot
PICK: 73 RND: 3 (NO)
Jake Golday
OLB Cincinnati
Lee Hunter Head Shot
PICK: 74 RND: 3 (NO)
Lee Hunter
DT Texas Tech
Ja'Kobi Lane Head Shot
PICK: 132 RND: 4 (NO)
Ja'Kobi Lane
WR USC
Parker Brailsford Head Shot
PICK: 136 RND: 4 (NO)
Parker Brailsford
C Alabama
Taylen Green Head Shot
PICK: 150 RND: 5 (NO)
Taylen Green
QB Arkansas
Patrick Payton Head Shot
PICK: 172 RND: 5 (NO)
Patrick Payton
DE-EDGE LSU
Draft Picks Received
Makai Lemon Head Shot
PICK: 18 RND: 1 (MIN)
Makai Lemon
WR USC
Caleb Banks Head Shot
PICK: 49 RND: 2 (MIN)
Caleb Banks
DL Florida
Lee Hunter Head Shot
PICK: 74 RND: 3 (KC)
Lee Hunter
DT Texas Tech
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 2 (MIN)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 3 (MIN)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
Draft Picks Traded
Mansoor Delane Head Shot
PICK: 8 RND: 1 (MIN)
Mansoor Delane
CB LSU
Zion Young Head Shot
PICK: 42 RND: 2 (KC)
Zion Young
DE-EDGE Missouri
Players Gained
Head Shot
Chris Jones
DT
Head Shot
Jalen Redmond
DT
Draft Grade — Saints
Overall A-
ValueB NeedB+ TradesA+ FutureB+
The Saints won the weekend at the trade table. Grade: A-.

The move everyone will second-guess came early. The Saints reached some 75 spots for Patrick Payton, and value like that does not grow back. Add it all up and it grades out a clean A-.

However the rest shakes out, Lane at that price is a win they earned. Every deal seemed to tilt their way, which is not luck. The cornerback hole is the one line item this class does not answer.

Bottom line, with Makai Lemon leading the way, this is a class that should pay off fast and rarely be regretted.

Pick Analysis
Pick18 Rnd1 Makai Lemon
In the 18th pick they get a No. 1 receiver at a price that makes it sweeter. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
Pick49 Rnd2 Caleb Banks
Value with a capital V on Caleb Banks in No. 49, a genuine coup. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Pick73 Rnd3 Jake Golday
They read the board right and Jake Golday was the payoff at slot 73. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Pick74 Rnd3 Lee Hunter
Lee Hunter in the 74th overall pick should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Pick132 Rnd4 Ja'Kobi Lane
The board fumbled Ja'Kobi Lane all the way to the Round 4 slot, and they scooped it up. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Pick136 Rnd4 Parker Brailsford
Fair-plus on Parker Brailsford, a quiet win that adds up over a draft. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Pick150 Rnd5 Taylen Green
Taylen Green in pick No. 150 is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Pick172 Rnd5 Patrick Payton
Patrick Payton at the Round 5 slot is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.