The New Orleans Saints may have finished 2025 at the bottom of the NFC South, but don’t let that fool you-this team showed real signs of life down the stretch. After a brutal 2-10 start that had some wondering if first-year head coach Kellen Moore would be a one-and-done, the Saints rattled off wins in four of their final five games. That late-season surge didn’t just restore some faith in Moore-it also nudged them back in the draft order, landing them the No. 8 overall pick.
Now, according to the latest mock draft from Pro Football Focus, that pick could become a major turning point for New Orleans. The projection?
Arizona State wide receiver Jordan Tyson heading to the Big Easy. And if that happens, the Saints might just be cooking with gas.
Tyson is no mystery to college football fans. After transferring from Colorado, he broke out in 2024 with a monster 1,101-yard season.
He followed that up in 2025 with 711 yards and eight touchdowns, proving he wasn’t just a one-year wonder. At 6-foot-2, he brings size, speed, and a knack for making big plays-exactly the kind of weapon the Saints need opposite Chris Olave.
Let’s be clear: the Saints’ receiving corps needs a jolt. Their second-leading receiver in 2025 was 29-year-old tight end Juwan Johnson, who has never cracked 550 yards in any of his five NFL seasons.
And Rashid Shaheed, who once showed promise, was traded midseason and went on to hoist the Lombardi Trophy with the Seahawks. That leaves Olave and a lot of question marks.
Enter Jordan Tyson. Pairing him with Olave would give second-year quarterback Tyler Shough a dynamic duo on the outside-and potentially one of the most exciting young passing attacks in the NFC.
Shough, for his part, showed plenty of promise in his rookie campaign. Across nine starts, he averaged 250 passing yards per game, tossed 10 touchdowns, and completed nearly 68% of his passes.
His final two games of the season? Back-to-back 300-yard outings.
That’s the kind of late-season momentum you want to see from a young signal-caller.
Olave certainly benefited from Shough’s emergence. After a quiet 2024, the former first-rounder bounced back in a big way, especially in the final three weeks of the season.
From Weeks 15 to 17, Olave racked up 24 catches for 352 yards and four touchdowns. That late-season spark showed just how dangerous this offense could be with the right pieces in place.
Now, if you’re the Atlanta Falcons, this potential Saints resurgence is something to keep a close eye on. Atlanta swept the season series in 2025 and did a respectable job containing Shough and Olave, holding the rookie QB to 251 passing yards per game across the two matchups.
But adding a player like Tyson to the mix? That’s a whole different challenge-especially for a Falcons secondary that had its fair share of struggles last season.
Of course, the Saints still have plenty of work to do this offseason. There are questions on the defensive side of the ball, particularly if a few key veterans don’t return. But if Tyson ends up in New Orleans, it’s going to put real pressure on the rest of the NFC South-Falcons included.
The draft is still a few months away, but the pieces are starting to move. And if the Saints land Tyson at No. 8, don’t be surprised if this team looks a whole lot more dangerous come September.