The New Orleans Saints have eight total picks in the 2026 NFL draft, but all eyes will be on the No. 8 selection when they hit the clock in the first round.
Hear the full interview with Deuce McAllister in the player above. Can't see the embed? Click here.
Brought to you by TRANESOUTH: It's hard to stop a TraneIt's the highest pick they've owned in nearly two decades. The way things have shaped up this offseason, as WWL Radio's Deuce McAllister broke down recently, they could go a host of directions based on how the board falls.
"If I’m picking somebody at 8, he’s got to be a star player or he’s a guy that I can see … because, you know, if Caleb [Downs] falls to you, I think that you're pleased there," Deuce said. "But I think the speed of the Saints running up to the podium for any of, really, four positions or those four players, I think they would be very, very happy.”
One position McAllister said he's ruling out is running back, even with the excitement surrounding Jeremiyah Love.
"I’m just not doing it," McAllister continued. "Now, I don’t think he’s going to be there. I think some other teams will take him, but I think the Saints are more than just a running back away.”
The other player Deuce is ruling out, at least if he was the GM of the team, is another controversial prospect but one at a premium position. When asked if McAllister would consider the standout Miami edge rusher at No. 8 there was a long pause, followed by: "No."
Bain's production at Miami has not been in question, but his measurables have been -- early and often. Bain measured in a 6-2, 263 pounds at the combine and with an arm length of 30 7/8 inches, a mark that represents a historic outlier for players in the first round. NFL teams value their prototypes greatly and typically look for no shorter than 32 inch arms at the edge rusher spots. Players have succeeded with suboptimal measurements in the NFL, but it's a gamble Deuce wouldn't take on if he was in the GM chair.
"He may end up being one of the top NFL players that comes about and, you know, it’s multiple GMs like myself that got fired because we didn’t take him," Deuce continued. "But I just have to look at, and I’m not just a pure measurement guy, I have to be able to look at the matchups as far as 1. what we see on a weekly basis as far as the tackles, and then if I can just chip and your biggest asset is hustle, then it’s an issue for me."
So who would fit the bill? It will all depend on who makes it out of the top 7 selections. Edge rushers Arvell Reese and David Bailey would certainly be options, as would safety Caleb Downs and Carnell Tate, but all feel like longshots to be available. LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane could also fit well.
But Deuce also said this might finally be the year for the Saints to execute the long-awaited trade back scenario, something the tam has never done with Mickey Loomis at the helm.
"If I can move back two spots, three spots, and I can get really, really good value, for me, if I’m the Saints, I really, truly have to entertain that opportunity," Deuce said. "Now, it takes two to tango, you can’t just want to move back and nobody gives you anything or you feel like that you’re moving too far back and it’s not worth it, but to accelerate the rebuild. ... I’m not saying that it’s going to happen because you need somebody else to say all right, I’m willing to do it.”
