Saints Surge Late, Sacrifice Draft Position - But Gain Something More Valuable
In the NFL, there’s an old saying: winning cures everything. And for the New Orleans Saints, it’s starting to feel true.
After a brutal stretch that saw them sink to the bottom of the NFC South, the Saints have suddenly strung together back-to-back wins over division rivals. That puts them at 4-10 - still a tough record on paper, but a far cry from where they were just a couple weeks ago.
The immediate impact? A shift in their draft positioning.
Just two weeks ago, New Orleans was staring down a potential top-three pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Now, after Week 15’s action, they’ve slid to No. 7 overall.
Thanks to a strength-of-schedule tiebreaker, they’re ahead of the other 4-10 teams - the Washington Commanders and Cincinnati Bengals - but the climb in the standings is real.
Here’s how the top 10 of the current draft order looks:
- New York Giants (2-12)
- Las Vegas Raiders (2-12)
- Tennessee Titans (2-12)
- Cleveland Browns (3-11)
- New York Jets (3-11)
- Arizona Cardinals (3-11)
- New Orleans Saints (4-10)
- Washington Commanders (4-10)
- Cincinnati Bengals (4-10)
- Los Angeles Rams (via Atlanta Falcons, 5-9)
So, where do the Saints go from here?
They’ve got three games left - and all three are against teams currently picking in the top 10. That means the Titans and Jets, both sitting at 2-12, are still in the mix for the No. 1 overall pick. But it also means the Saints have a real shot to keep this mini-run going.
A big reason for the turnaround? Tyler Shough.
The rookie quarterback is starting to look like more than just a stopgap. He’s making clutch throws in high-leverage moments, showing poise that goes beyond the stat sheet. And when you pair that with a defense that’s been punching above its weight class, you’ve got a team that suddenly feels dangerous - or at least competent - down the stretch.
Now, let’s be real: this isn’t a playoff push. At best, if they win out, the Saints could finish 7-10.
But that’s not nothing. A strong finish could push their draft pick as low as the mid-teens - somewhere around No. 15 - depending on how the rest of the league shakes out.
And while that might make some fans nervous about missing out on a top-tier prospect in what's shaping up to be a top-heavy draft class, there’s another side to this coin. If you’re not picking in the top four, the difference between No. 7 and No. 15 might not be as steep as it seems. A lot of the same names will still be on the board.
More importantly, the Saints are building something. Momentum.
Identity. Belief.
If Shough continues to prove he can be the guy, that’s a win far bigger than any draft slot. If the team keeps fighting, keeps improving, and starts to believe in itself, that’s the kind of foundation you can build on - not just for next year, but for the next five.
So yes, winning might be hurting their draft position. But it’s helping everywhere else that matters. And with three games left, the Saints have a chance to keep stacking those wins - and maybe, just maybe, change the narrative heading into 2026.