It’s now a good time to look at the 2026 NFL Draft with less of a lens only on the football aspect. You are going to see so many mock drafts in the coming days that many fans will gloss over the specific landing spots for different players outside of the early rounds.

The draft is an emotional process for young athletes, and the New Orleans Saints will make some dreams come true next week, along with every other team around the league.

6 NFL Draft prospects with surprising Saints connections

Dane Brugler’s “The Beast” is an annual breakdown of a ton of draft prospects, and Brugler always includes some intriguing tidbits of info for players, even outside of football. 

For the Saints, here are six different prospects who are expected to hear their name called have some sort of ties to the city or team.

Garrett Nussmeier, QB, LSU

Garrett’s father, Doug, played in the NFL and is now the offensive coordinator for the Saints.

“Doug Nussmeier was a record-setting quarterback at Idaho (1989-93) and won the 1993 Walter Payton Award as the most outstanding player in the FCS. He was drafted in the fourth round (No. 116) of the 1994 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints.” — Brugler

Le’Veon Moss, RB, Texas A&M

“Moss played running back for the South Baton Rouge Rams and modeled his game after Reggie Bush, who was with the New Orleans Saints at the time.” — Brugler

Moss dealt with injuries in college, so he could be available late on day three. The Saints still need more RB depth after adding Travis Etienne Jr. to the depth chart.

Jeff Caldwell, WR, Cincinnati

“Caldwell grew up watching DeSean Jackson and (as a New Orleans Saints fan) Drew Brees.” — Brugler

The Bearcats pass catcher continues to climb in rankings, and he could go as early as late day two or early day three. New Orleans needs to add at least one WR during the draft.

Zavion Thomas, WR, LSU

“Thomas grew up rooting for the New Orleans Saints and watching them every Sunday. At age 17, he got an NFL tattoo on his arm as a reminder and motivation to never stop working toward his goal.” — Brugler

The Tigers product is one of the most intriguing returners in the class, and Thomas’ speed and explosive nature will get him drafted.

Dametrious Crownover, OT, Texas A&M

“Another older brother (Earnest III) had stops at Army and Kilgore (Texas) Junior College before transferring to Texas A&M as a running back (2020-23). He signed with the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent.” — Brugler

Khalil Dinkins, TE, Penn State

“His father, also a Pittsburgh native, was a high school quarterback before transitioning to tight end in college at Pitt (1995-99). He went undrafted in the 2000 NFL Draft and played minor league football before signing with the New York Giants in 2002 and carving out an eight-year NFL career. He also played for the Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns and New Orleans Saints, winning a Super Bowl in his final NFL season.” — Brugler