The Saints’ run game has become too easy to smother, and that’s why the backfield is going to be one of the first places to watch when the 2027 NFL Draft comes into focus. With Tyler Shough carrying so much of the offense, New Orleans has made life simple for defenses: sit on the pass, heat up the quarterback, and make the Saints prove they can move the ball on the ground.
That’s the problem. And it’s why the running back room has to be addressed.
There are still plenty of college backs in the mix this early in the season, but four names stand out as worth keeping on the radar for New Orleans fans. They’re not a ranked top four. They’re just four players who could make sense when April arrives.
Jadan Baugh of Florida is the headline act. The six-foot-one, 225-pound junior has been the best running back in college football in 2026, piling up 593 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns in five games.
He’s averaging 6.2 yards per carry and has already forced 35 missed tackles. Baugh brings a rare mix of elusiveness, power, and burst.
He sees the field well, can jump-cut through traffic, absorbs contact without losing momentum, and then has enough speed to turn a crease into a big play.
If the Saints want a true bruiser with a defined NFL role, LJ Martin at BYU is the kind of runner who fits that mold. At six-foot-two and 225 pounds, he’s built to hammer between the tackles, and that’s exactly where he does his best work.
Martin runs with force, welcomes contact, and still has enough agility to make defenders miss in space. He may not be the type to rip off 1,500-yard seasons in the NFL because he isn’t a pure home-run hitter, but he looks like a workhorse back who could go early in April.
Cam Cook has already shown he can produce at a high level wherever he lands. He led the nation with 1,572 rushing yards last year at Jacksonville State, then transferred to West Virginia and picked up right where he left off.
Through this season, he’s run for 652 yards, second in the league, and five touchdowns. Cook’s style draws a comparison to Alvin Kamara, not in exact player terms, but in the way he waits for blocks to develop, then explodes through tight spaces with sudden short-area quickness.
In the open field, he’s a nightmare to bring down. He may not be built to handle a heavy between-the-tackles load, but he has the kind of playmaking ability that changes a game fast.
Jahiem White is another name worth tracking after a productive but injury-plagued three seasons at West Virginia. He moved to North Texas last year and has become the engine of the Mean Green offense.
White has 582 rushing yards and eight touchdowns, and that total includes a 219-yard performance last week. He’s shown he can carry an offense, and that kind of production will keep him in the conversation as the draft picture develops.
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The interesting part is how divided the outlook is inside the discussion around this one, because the matchup can be framed several different ways depending on which side you trust more. New Orleans has a path if its defense responds and Tyler Shough can handle the pressure Minnesota is expected to bring, but there is also a sense that this could come down to a narrow margin if the Vikings dictate the terms. [Read more 🡒]