The New Orleans Saints are two pieces away from having a very solid defense heading into the 2026 National Football League season.
For the Saints, they were among the better defenses in the game in 2025, but Cameron Jordan is still available in free agency, so there is a bit of a hole to fill in the pass rush. Also, Alontae Taylor left the team in free agency, so there is a hole at corner. For the Saints, if they can add one more high-end pass rusher and one more elite corner, they will be all set at defense.
The Saints should be able to at least solve one of these two issues using the No. 8 pick in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Arguably, the guy the Saints should be targeting is LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane.
Saints Mock Draft: New Orleans Picks Mansoor Delane at No. 8
Delane arguably is the top cornerback in the 2026 NFL Draft class. He has been connected to the Saints throughout the offseason so far. In March, NFL analyst Ryan Fowler reported that the Saints were set to host Delane for a top-30 visit.
The cornerback position has been one that the team has publicly talked about trying to improve after losing Taylor. Saints head coach Kellen Moore called it a “challenge.”
“It’s obviously going to be a challenge,” Moore said. “I think we’ve got some guys in our building, obviously, we feel like can make that transition, both from the corner and the safety buckets.”
With Delane, the Saints would have a clear answer. Right now, Sports Illustrated has Delane ranked as the No. 12 overall prospect in the draft class. The All-American played in 11 games for LSU in 2025 after spending the first three seasons of his college career at Virginia Tech. In 2025, he had 45 total tackles, two interceptions, 11 passes defended and was a dominant presence overall in LSU’s secondary. Overall, he finished his college career with eight interceptions in 44 games played.
The Saints have a hole at the position and Delane is arguably the best cornerback in the draft class. If he’s still on the board at No. 8, which seems to be very likely, it would be a no-brainer of a pick for New Orleans. Because of that, he is the predicted selection here for New Orleans just under three weeks away from the 2026 NFL Draft.
