NEW ORLEANS -- The New Orleans Saints are getting younger.
The Saints selected eight rookies in April's 2026 NFL draft, some of whom could replace veterans who departed in free agency. Others could push established veterans for playing time when the Saints' 2026 season begins Week 1 at the Detroit Lions.
Let's break each rookie's status into four tiers based on their season outlook.
While those tiers could change after the Saints begin OTAs next week and the rookies get acclimated, here's the 2026 rookie forecast as it stands now.
Immediate starters
Jordyn Tyson, WR, Round 1 (No. 8)
The Saints' first-round pick stands alone at the top of a crowded group of incoming receivers.
Tyson's biggest challenge will be staying healthy after battling a number of different injuries in college. If he does that, he'll be getting significant snaps next to Chris Olave and whoever wins the No. 3 wideout job.
"He's got a complementary skill set to Chris [Olave]... Juwan [Johnson], and the other guys we have. So it's a good mix right now," Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said after the draft.
Tyson practiced on only one day of the Saints' two-day rookie minicamp, but Moore said he was one of several players on a "maintenance plan" to build them back up after a significant time out of football.
"I know my body pretty well, I've endured a couple of injuries so I kind of know, but I'm just trying to learn as much as possible and do as much as possible," Tyson said after his minicamp practice.
Tyson moved around during the practice and took snaps at all three receiver positions. He said that was no problem for him since he also did that at Arizona State.
"I told him that that was going to happen on his way coming in. I didn't give him any pre-knowledge about what the play was going to be because I wanted to see what he can handle and he dealt with it well today," wide receivers coach Keith Williams said during rookie minicamp. "So I was impressed and encouraged by that."
Regular contributors
Christen Miller, DT, Round 2 (No. 42)
The Saints will have to wait to get their first glimpse of Miller, who attended rookie minicamp but didn't practice because of an undisclosed injury. Moore said the second-round pick out of Georgia was fine but had his on-field time limited on purpose.
Miller is apt to find a spot on the defensive line rotation this season. His versatility will likely help get him on the field quickly.
"Big, powerful young man and adds to a great room, so we're excited to get him," Loomis said."
According to ESPN Research, he played 693 snaps at DT and 311 snaps at nose tackle at Georgia and finished his career with 30 pressures since becoming a full time starter.
Miller said that he feels like he's versatile enough to play any position on the interior.
"I just like being a Swiss Army knife. I feel like anything my coach tells me to do, I can do it. From being dominant in the inside, at nose, from being dominant at the three tech position, dominant the 4i, dominant at five, I can just do everything. I think I just bring that versatility to the game and just my mindset. I think my mindset is just second to none. I think I got the best mindset in class in terms of just like, '"I want to run through somebody's face. I seek physicality. I want physicality. And that's just what I was taught. That's how I've always been. And that's what I'm on. That's what I live by.'"
Other than 2023 first-round pick Bryan Bresee, the Saints likely don't have any starters set in stone on the interior. The Saints have veteran players in Davon Godchaux and Nathan Shepherd, both of whom are in the final seasons of their contracts. If Miller comes along quickly he could potentially find playing time, whether it's on a rotational basis or eventually usurping a starter.
What Christen Miller brings to the Saints
Backups or special-teamers
Oscar Delp, TE, Round 3 (No. 73)
The third-round pick out of Georgia enters a situation where there is potential to get snaps. With Taysom Hill unsigned and Foster Moreau now gone, Delp could be the third tight end behind Juwan Johnson and Noah Fant.
"Obviously he has athleticism. We saw that on film. The physicality I think he plays with will show up as we progress, particularly in pads. That'll be a big part of this thing because from a tight end perspective, that's a deep group now, which is a positive.
"Not everyone's going to catch a football every time and so guys are going to do some dirty work and he's certainly shown he's capable of that. And then the special teams component I think is going to be an added bonus," Moore said.
Moliki Matavao, a seventh-round pick last season, only got 86 offensive snaps behind Moreau, Hill (a QB who took snaps all over) and Johnson. Matavao was on and off the practice squad while that spot is unlikely for Delp due to his draft position.
Delp will have to fight for offensive snaps if the other tight ends stay healthy, depending on how fast he develops. He said he has talked to the special teams coaches about getting snaps on those units, which could help him see early playing time. He said he thinks he has the body type to play all over the field.
"Whether that's special teams, run game, passing game, anywhere on offense. I'm excited to help and be a part of all those special teams units," Delp said.
Jeremiah Wright, OG, Round 4 (No. 132)
Wright spent his last three seasons at Auburn playing guard. He started as a left guard after switching over from the defensive line and was a starting right guard for two seasons.
Free agent David Edwards will be the starting left guard this season and Loomis said the Saints would be doing Wright "a disservice" to throw more than one position at him, so he'll take all his snaps at guard.
"Big. People mover. He's going to come in and immediately add size and power to our offensive line and [we'll] see how he develops," Loomis said.
Wright's best opportunity to get on the field would be by beating out right guard Cesar Ruiz. Loomis admitted at the end of last season that they needed to get more out of Ruiz, who has been the team's starting right guard for six seasons.
Ruiz, who has two more seasons left on his deal, will be paid $9.5 million in base salary each year. Notably, the Saints did not restructure Ruiz' contact this year and they would save $6.8 million if they moved on from him this summer.
While the assumption is that Wright is a backup in 2026 and Ruiz retains his starting job, this might be a competition to watch.
Lorenzo Styles Jr., DB, Round 5 (No. 172)
Styles won't see the field as a full participant for a while as he rehabs a shoulder injury up until training camp.
The rookie out of Ohio State could be a candidate to replace departed nickel cornerback Alontae Taylor, but Loomis said he's going to refer to him as a "DB" for now.
"Brandon [Staley] refers to these guys as DBs more than corners, nickels, or safety," Loomis said. "And so I'm going to take that tactic and just say, 'Hey look, we added some DBs, some of which are a little more developmental and we've got to wait until we get into training camp to see how they fit with the defense that Brandon wants to play.'"
Loomis described Styles as a developmental player and noted special teams could be a starting spot for him and possibly DB TJ Hall, too, when asked about finding their spots.
"Oftentimes for guys on [Day 3], the path to the roster is special teams," Loomis said. "So it's either they have experience in their college career or they have the traits that we think are necessary to become special teams players."
Barion Brown, WR, Round 6 (No. 190)
Brown runs a 4.4 40-yard dash and comes to the Saints with an impressive kick return résumé. He returned six kickoffs for touchdowns at Kentucky and LSU.
The Saints haven't had a dynamic kick returner since they traded Rashid Shaheed to the Seahawks last year, but if Brown is going to make the team solely as a kick returner, the Saints would need to keep at least six receivers. He might need to show he can do more than that to secure a spot on the active roster.
Brown got off to a good start with some nice catches at rookie minicamp, and Moore said they see him as more than just a returner.
"He's had a lot of success at receiver and so we certainly see that vision for him in addition to the return game that obviously everyone knows," Moore said.
Brown was the third receiver drafted into a very crowded room, but he has the attitude and potential to crack the roster due to his dual abilities.
"Whatever they need me to do, it's going to get done," Brown said at rookie camp. "Just always having that chip on my shoulder to get better each and every day, and that's in the return game, that's being a person, that's being a receiver, that's being a great teammate. So just trying to hit all the aspects of it."
Projects
Bryce Lance, WR, Round 4 (No. 136)
Bryce Lance rushes in for 75-yard touchdown
Lance, who played at North Dakota State, was the team's second fourth-round pick this year.
Loomis said that Lance is a tall, developmental player who brings talent to the room but doesn't have experience competing at the highest level.
"He didn't play at a Power 4 conference ... so there's probably some development that we need to do there," Loomis said.
Like Brown, Lance comes in with speed after running a 4.34 40-yard dash at the combine. His potential makes him an interesting addition, although he's going to need a standout camp to get playing time with several receivers vying for the same snaps.
"Speed, juice, these guys have got some really good engines, so to speak," Moore said of the three new receivers.
TJ Hall, DB, Round 7 (No. 219)
Hall was the Saints' final draft pick this year and likely has the biggest challenge in front of him to make the roster.
The rookie out of Iowa said that during the draft process, many teams had different visions for him, whether it was nickel corner, safety, or outside corner. He said he feels comfortable playing any of them, and having versatility will help him stand out.
Hall is likely a practice squad candidate for now unless he carves a path for himself via special teams or has a standout camp at one of the defensive back positions.