Nathan Hail'S MOCK DRAFT
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Nathan Hail'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON AUG 21, 2026

Who Dat 1

  • Nathan Hail DRAFTING FOR THE
    Saints
Draft Selections
Damon Wilson II Head Shot
PICK: 31 RND: 1 (NO)
Damon Wilson II
LB-EDGE Miami
Ahmad Hardy Head Shot
PICK: 42 RND: 2 (NO)
Ahmad Hardy
RB Missouri
Kelley Jones Head Shot
PICK: 73 RND: 3 (NO)
Kelley Jones
CB Mississippi State
Anthonie Knapp Head Shot
PICK: 108 RND: 4 (NO)
Anthonie Knapp
OT Notre Dame
Brandon Inniss Head Shot
PICK: 132 RND: 4 (NO)
Brandon Inniss
WR Ohio State
Drake Lindsey Head Shot
PICK: 136 RND: 4 (NO)
Drake Lindsey
QB Minnesota
Justin Evans Head Shot
PICK: 148 RND: 5 (NO)
Justin Evans
C Nebraska
Jayden Jackson Head Shot
PICK: 169 RND: 5 (NO)
Jayden Jackson
DT Oklahoma
Lawson Luckie Head Shot
PICK: 170 RND: 5 (NO)
Lawson Luckie
TE Georgia
Jake Guarnera Head Shot
PICK: 188 RND: 6 (NO)
Jake Guarnera
OG Michigan
Draft Picks Received
Damon Wilson II Head Shot
PICK: 31 RND: 1 (DEN)
Damon Wilson II
LB-EDGE Miami
Anthonie Knapp Head Shot
PICK: 108 RND: 4 (DEN)
Anthonie Knapp
OT Notre Dame
Jayden Jackson Head Shot
PICK: 169 RND: 5 (DEN)
Jayden Jackson
DT Oklahoma
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 1 (DEN)
NEXT YEAR (2028)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 2 (CIN)
NEXT YEAR (2028)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 2 (DEN)
NEXT YEAR (2028)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 3 (CIN)
NEXT YEAR (2028)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 6 (CIN)
NEXT YEAR (2028)
 
Draft Picks Traded
Leonard Moore Head Shot
PICK: 8 RND: 1 (CIN)
Leonard Moore
CB Notre Dame
Players Gained
Head Shot
Boye Mafe
LB
Head Shot
Riley Moss
CB
Draft Grade — Saints
Overall A
ValueB+ NeedB- TradesA+ FutureA+
The Saints robbed the room for Jackson. Final grade: A.

The board owed the Saints one, and it paid up: Jayden Jackson, the No. 120 name on the board, sitting there at the 169th pick like a gift left on the doorstep.

Every deal seemed to tilt their way, which is not luck. The Saints paired the rookies with proven help, Boye Mafe leading the way.

Stockpiling next year's capital is patient, if unglamorous, asset work.

In the end it comes back to Damon Wilson II, and a haul good enough to build on right away.

Pick Analysis
Pick31 Rnd1 Damon Wilson II
In No. 31 they get a double-digit-sack hope at a price that makes it sweeter. Exactly the need they had to hit.
Pick42 Rnd2 Ahmad Hardy
The board fumbled Ahmad Hardy all the way to pick 42, and they scooped it up. A minor need, but a need all the same.
Pick73 Rnd3 Kelley Jones
Kelley Jones in the 73rd overall pick is exactly on the number, no argument either way. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Pick108 Rnd4 Anthonie Knapp
Anthonie Knapp at the 108th pick is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. A need, and now a little less of one.
Pick132 Rnd4 Brandon Inniss
Fair-plus on Brandon Inniss, a quiet win that adds up over a draft. It adds depth where they could use a little.
Pick136 Rnd4 Drake Lindsey
They did well to land Drake Lindsey in the Round 4 slot, just ahead of his grade. A minor itch, scratched.
Pick148 Rnd5 Justin Evans
They will replay Justin Evans at Round 5, Pick 10 for years; that is how good the value is. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Pick169 Rnd5 Jayden Jackson
Jayden Jackson in pick No. 169 is a gift, value that borders on unfair. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Pick170 Rnd5 Lawson Luckie
No edge and no loss on Lawson Luckie in pick No. 170; it is a wash and a sensible one. Pure best-available; the position was not exactly begging.
Pick188 Rnd6 Jake Guarnera
Jake Guarnera in the 188th pick is fine work, a shade of surplus and no downside. It fills a real need, too.