A win over the Giants changed the Saints’ draft outlook in a real way. After last week’s loss to the Vikings left their position untouched, New Orleans is now projected to land the No. 12 pick in the 2027 NFL Draft as Week 7 arrives.
That slot would put the Saints in range to address one of their clearest issues on defense, and linebacker is a logical place to start. With Demario Davis gone in free agency and Kaden Elliss sidelined by injury, the need for help there is obvious. Pete Werner has not been a problem, and Danny Stutsman is still coming along, but this group could use a young centerpiece with upside.
Georgia linebacker Chris Cole fits that kind of profile. At 6-foot-3, he brings speed, physicality, and a nose for the ball.
He can tackle, hit, and rush the quarterback from outside linebacker, and he’s active enough in coverage to stay involved snap after snap. He’s the kind of player who keeps showing up on the screen all game long.
Cornerback, though, may be the Saints’ biggest defensive priority of all. The team may have benched Kool-Aid McKinstry, though the Saints said he had a migraine early in the game, which is why Martin Emerson Jr. was playing.
However that situation settles, the need for a true CB1 remains. If the Saints want one at a manageable cost, using a first-round pick is the cleanest path.
Clemson corner Ashton Hampton is drawing that kind of attention. He has been lockdown this season and leads the nation in pass deflections.
He also shut down one of college football’s most talented receivers, Malachi Toney. Hampton still has areas to sharpen, but his length and coverage ability make him a corner the Saints should seriously have on their radar.
In Other News...
Saints Paris Game Could Decide How Hot Kellen Moores Seat Gets
The Saints trip to Paris carries more than international flair for Kellen Moore and a team still searching for traction. Against the Steelers, the result will be judged not just in the standings but in the broader conversation around a first-year coach trying to steady the locker room and establish trust. Owner Gayle Benson is the one voice that matters most in that equation, and this game has quickly become a marker for how much patience remains as the season moves forward.
A win would at least give the Saints something tangible to build on, while a loss would only intensify the noise around Moores future. The range of possibilities is wide because the stakes are so awkwardly high: one game in a marquee setting, a team still feeling its way, and a coach whose standing could shift dramatically depending on how this one plays out. For New Orleans, Paris is about more than a novelty showcase. It is the kind of stage that can shape how the rest of the season feels. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Offense Faces A Real Test In Paris Against Pittsburgh
A trip to Paris brings an unusual stage for a Saints offense that is still trying to find its footing, and the matchup with Pittsburgh should tell plenty about where this group really stands. Tyler Shough and Chris Olave remain central to any hopes of getting the passing game moving, while the Steelers arrive with veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers and a defense that has enough speed and structure to make life difficult for New Orleans.
There is also no shortage of firepower on the other side, with Jaylen Warren and Pat Freiermuth giving Pittsburgh multiple ways to stress a defense. The betting market has already framed this as a tight one, but the bigger question for New Orleans is whether its offense can answer a real test on an international stage and turn enough chances into touchdowns to keep the game within reach. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Paris Game Just Revived A Nightmare Fans Never Forgot
The NFLs assignment for the Saints game in Paris against the Steelers carries a familiar name for New Orleans fans, and not for a comforting reason. Bill Vinovich is set to work the matchup overseas, a notable call because the league had steered clear of putting him on Saints games in recent years, keeping an obvious distance from a memory that still lingers in the fan base.
For New Orleans supporters, the optics are hard to miss, even with the league trying to spread its product internationally. A Paris showcase is supposed to feel fresh and celebratory, but the referee assignment revives old frustration and puts an unwelcome spotlight back on a chapter the Saints would probably prefer stay buried. [Read more 🡒]