Best NFL free agents: Who should Saints sign before the 2026 draft?
· Yahoo Sports
Free agency has slowed to a crawl, but the New Orleans Saints shouldn't sit on their hands. There are still players available who could make their team better -- or at least set them up better for this year's draft by lowering some positions from "needs" to "wants" on their offseason to-do list. But who exactly is still out there?
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Big credit to Justis Mosqueda from Acme Packing Company, SB Nation's Green Bay Packers blog, who gathered the results from nearly two dozen different outlets to make a 200-name consensus board for free agency. Now that we're almost a month in, many of those players have found new teams, but some remain on the market. The Saints are still evaluating their options before the 2026 NFL Draft and signing another veteran or two could make their decisions that much easier come draft day. We'll highlight their four most pressing team needs before taking a look at the players still available from the top 100.
Edge rusher
- 29. Joey Bosa
- 76. Jadeveon Clowney
- 90. Cameron Jordan
- 132. Von Miller
- 137. A.J. Epenesa
- 145. Brandon Graham
- 150. Dante Fowler Jr.
- 157. Derek Barnett
- 160. Haason Reddick
- 166. Kyle Van Noy
- 200. Preston Smith
The Saints brought back Chris Rumph II but he should be competing with Fadil Diggs and Myles Cole for a roster spot as the team's fourth edge rusher in the rotation, not a direct backup for both Chase Young and Carl Granderson. This group needs more help whether or not Cameron Jordan returns. But with so few free agents left on the right side of 30, it feels like any signing would be a temporary fix rather than a long-term commitment.
Wide receiver
- 15. Jauan Jennings
- 35. Deebo Samuel
- 43. Stefon Diggs
- 49. Tyreek Hill
- 79. Keenan Allen
- 92. Brandon Aiyuk
- 130. DeAndre Hopkins
This is really where the Saints need another reliable veteran, with Chris Olave having more first down conversions in his career than every other wide receiver on the team put together. Landing Jennings would be a coup, but Allen might be open to a reunion with Kellen Moore now that Tyler Shough has planted his flag. Most of the other guys in this group are either older, injured, or are dealing with off-the-field problems.
Defensive back
- 84. CB Rasul Douglas
- 104. CB Mike Hilton
- 115. S Harrison Smith
- 129. CB Trevon Diggs
- 139. S Donovan Wilson
- 162. S Xavier Woods
- 168. S Jordan Poyer
- 185. S Ifeatu Melifonwu
- 195. CB Fabian Moreau
- 199. CB Tre'Davious White
It's kind of a specific need here -- the Saints don't have anyone with many NFL reps in the slot on their roster now that Alontae Taylor has left town. The most-accomplished player on this list in that role is Mike Hilton, but they could prefer a safety with stronger chops in run support. This one might be addressed through the draft.
Defensive tackle
- 60. Calais Campbell
- 64. DJ Reader
- 77. DaQuan Jones
It's slim pickings for defensive tackles. The Saints didn't get much production out of their top three linemen -- Bryan Bresee, Nathan Shepherd, and Davon Godchaux -- and while there's hope Vernon Broughton can shake up the group after returning from a season-ending injury, we need to see it to believe it. Each of these guys are over 30 (Reader, the youngest, will be 32 when the season starts) so it could be another temp-fix signing. But there are snaps to go around with Jonathan Bullard and Jonah Williams leaving in free agency.
Top remaining free agents
- 15. WR Jauan Jennings
- 25. QB Aaron Rodgers
- 29. EDGE Joey Bosa
- 35. WR Deebo Samuel
- 38. LT Taylor Decker
- 42. LG Joel Bitonio
- 43. WR Stefon Diggs
- 49. WR Tyreek Hill
- 60. DT Calais Campbell
- 63. TE David Njoku
- 64. DT DJ Reader
- 76. EDGE Jadeveon Clowney
- 77. DT DaQuan Jones
- 79. WR Keenan Allen
- 84. CB Rasul Douglas
- 89. OL Mekhi Becton
- 90. EDGE Cameron Jordan
- 92. WR Brandon Aiyuk
All of these players are still available for different reasons: age, injury, or just seeking more money than a team has been willing to pay. The draft is going to change situations for everyone as depth charts get restocked with young (cheap) talent around the league, and eventually, compromises will have to be made. What's important for the Saints is that there are stilll opportunities to make their team better in the weeks ahead.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Best NFL free agents: Jauan Jennings, Joey Bosa lead Saints targets