Imagine the Saints potentially holding the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft – a dream scenario for some, but a massive pressure cooker for others! What happens when a team like New Orleans, staring down the barrel of the top selection, must decide between sticking with their current starter or swinging for the fences on a superstar? This scenario isn't just hypothetical; it's unfolding right now with rookie Tyler Shough under center for the Saints. As the season progresses, Shough is firmly in the starting role, but come draft time, he could easily become another example of a mid-to-high round pick getting replaced by an elite talent selected just one year later. Think about it: teams often gamble on upgrading the quarterback position with premium picks, hoping for that transformative player. And this is the part most people miss – the Saints aren't alone in this pattern. Let's dive into how this has played out before, and explore what it means for their future, including a fresh take on my 2026 mock draft where the Cowboys snag key defensive reinforcements and Jaxson Dart secures a top-5 wide receiver. But here's where it gets controversial: is drafting a QB at No. 1 always the right move, or should teams prioritize other positions to build a balanced roster?
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Published on November 3, 2025, at 10:15 pm ET • Estimated reading time: about 1 minute (though we'll expand a bit for clarity)
To make this easier to grasp for football fans just getting into the draft scene, let's break it down step by step. Technically, rookie Tyler Shough is the New Orleans Saints' quarterback for the remainder of the 2025 season. He's holding down the fort, but when the 2026 NFL Draft rolls around, it's highly likely Shough will be bumped up the depth chart by a higher-pick acquisition. This mirrors past decisions where teams have used a top pick to elevate the QB position after settling for someone in a later round initially. For instance, in 2011, the Carolina Panthers swung big at No. 1 overall on Cam Newton, a move that paid off handsomely as he became a franchise cornerstone. Similarly, eight years later, the Arizona Cardinals took Kyler Murray with the top pick, transforming their offense. Now, with nine weeks into the 2026 season under their belts, the Saints are eyeballing that coveted No. 1 slot themselves – a chance to reshape their team in a heartbeat.
Of course, there will be plenty of internal chatter about possibly trading down from No. 1 to accumulate more picks, which could fundamentally overhaul their squad with additional talent. But if the Saints brass believes Fernando Mendoza, Ty Simpson, or Dante Moore is their ideal QB, those trade talks might fizzle out quickly. It's a classic dilemma: go for the home run with a top QB, or build depth across positions? To unpack this further, I chatted with former Tennessee Titans GM Ran Carthon on our 'With the First Pick' NFL Draft podcast last week – he offered some insights that really got us thinking about long-term roster building.
Shifting gears to my updated Mock Draft 2.0, I've dialed back the quarterback selections in the first round to just three – and one of those involves a trade. For example, after dropping from No. 2 to No. 5 last April, the Cleveland Browns climb back up to No. 2 in this hypothetical scenario to nab a signal-caller. This echoes the Shough situation, where current Browns QBs like Dylan Gabriel or Shedeur Sanders probably won't be penciled in as the 2026 starter before the draft even happens. (In my earlier mock from last month, I had five QBs going off the board, but factors like USC's Jayden Maiava possibly returning to college and Oklahoma's John Mateer dealing with a hand injury that hampered his performance could reduce that number.)
In this refreshed version, we're seeing seven offensive linemen, six edge rushers, and five cornerbacks selected early, with a roughly 15-17 split favoring offensive and defensive players overall. It's a nod to how the draft landscape can shift based on team needs and player availability.
Alright, let's jump into the mock draft itself (remember, the order here is based on Tankathon's projections as of Monday night).
NFL Mock Draft
