The New Orleans Saints made heavy investments in their offense this offseason, but many analysts are taking the wait-and-see approach in the 2026 season.
That was definitely true in ESPN's rankings of the best projected starting lineups, with the Saints landing toward the bottom at No. 26. See the full listing here.
The breakdown listed wide receiver as the Saints' biggest strength, while cornerback was the biggest weakness. They described the pairing of rookie Jordyn Tyson and Chris Olave as "one of the league's best young WR duos."
ESPN listed second-year QB Tyler Shough as the biggest X-factor.
"His rookie season went better than expected. ... It was good enough for the Saints to not explore other quarterback options this offseason," the breakdown said, "but the fate of the 2026 Saints -- and Shough's long-term status in New Orleans -- depends on how much he improves this season."
The Saints are coming off a 6-11 season and a fifth consecutive missed postseason, though they showed significant progress in the second half of the 2025 season under new head coach Kellen Moore. Shough took over in Week 9 and went 5-4, including a four-game winning streak. The team invested in pieces around him this offseason, adding LG David Edwards, RB Travis Etienne and TE Noah Fant in free agency. They doubled down in the draft with three WRs, including Tyson at No. 8 overall and Bryce Lance in the 4th round, while adding another TE in Oscar Delp in the third round.
ESPN ranked the Saints ahead of the Raiders, Titans, Cardinals, Falcons, Browns and Dolphins.
