The New Orleans Saints might be onto something. After a busy 2026 offseason that included some smart free agent signings and a solid draft class, the team looks like it could finally be trending upward. Quarterback Tyler Shough has a full season under his belt now, and the roster around him is deeper than it’s been in years.
But here is the thing about building a contender in the NFL. It never really stops. The draft is always coming. And if you run the 2027 mock draft simulator over at PFF, the Saints end up with a haul that could reshape their entire defensive backfield.
Cornerback at No. 10? Yeah, That Could Work
The Saints go secondary early in this simulation. With the 10th overall pick, they grab Georgia cornerback Ellis Robinson IV. And if you watched the Bulldogs at all in 2025, you know why.
Robinson was a five star recruit who redshirted, then exploded as a redshirt freshman. We are talking 20 tackles, seven passes defensed and four interceptions in just 12 games. That kind of ball production from a young corner is rare. He still needs to clean up his consistency snap to snap, and he could stand to add a few pounds. But the instincts are already there.
New Orleans already has Kool-Aid McKinstry as a solid CB1. Quincy Riley and Isaac Yiadom give them decent depth. What they do not have is that true lockdown guy who changes how offensive coordinators attack you. Robinson could be that guy.
Double Dipping in the Secondary
Then in the second round, the simulator has the Saints taking Notre Dame safety Brauntae “Tae” Johnson at pick 42. Johnson is 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, and he broke out in 2025 with 48 tackles and four picks playing free safety. The concern here is a foot injury he suffered as a freshman — a broken fifth metatarsal that cost him significant time. The 2026 season is huge for Johnson. He needs to prove the foot is fine and that last year was not a fluke.
If the Saints pull this off, they land a potential heir to Julian Blackmon at free safety and pair him with Robinson. That is a young foundation piece for the secondary.
Edge Rusher in Round 3, and a Few Fliers
The Saints grab Ole Miss edge rusher Princewill Umanmielen at pick 74. His game looks a lot like his brother Princely, who plays for Carolina. Princewill has 10.5 career sacks and 51 pressures, which is legitimate production. But his tackling is inconsistent and his run defense is just okay. That kind of profile usually means a rotational pass rush specialist. For a third round pick, that is fine value.
Later on, the simulator throws some interesting names at the Saints. Wide receiver Ian Strong out of Cal — he is 6-foot-3, 211 pounds, and transferred from Rutgers after a 52 catch, 762 yard season in 2025. There is quarterback Nico Iamaleava from UCLA in the fifth round, which feels weird given the Saints seem committed to Shough. But a late round flier on a backup quarterback with upside is not the worst idea.
Arkansas tight end Jaden Platt in the sixth round is mostly a pass protector. Not much receiving production there. And Notre Dame receiver Jaden Greathouse in the seventh round is coming off a hamstring injury that ended his 2025 season early. He was a playoff hero for the Irish in 2024, but he has a lot to prove.
The Bigger Picture for New Orleans
Look, mock draft simulators in June are basically video games. But the logic here is sound. The Saints have a chance to build a young, ball-hawking secondary if they commit to it. Robinson and Johnson together would change the look of that defense. And the rest of the draft is about taking swings on traits and hoping a few hit.
The 2026 season will tell us a lot. If Shough takes a step, if the defense holds up, the Saints might not be drafting this high in 2027 anyway. That would be a good problem to have.
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