Saints give Chris Olave a dynamic duo in recent 2026 mock draft that offers a prospect his dream opportunity immediately in the NFL
New Orleans under Kellen Moore is a great landing spot for him.
Replacing the presence of wide receiver Rashid Shaheed will most likely be on the New Orleans Saints radar this offseason. While a reunion is possible, New Orleans may look to the NFL Draft in order to address their wide receiver upside.
Kellen Moore’s play calling decides first-round pick for Saints in mock draft
In Daniel Jeremiah’s latest 2026 NFL mock draft, the Saints made a pick that we have not seen too often in recent weeks. Instead of Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love or a pass rusher, the Saints chose USC WR Makai Lemon with their first pick.
“The Saints inject a major boost to Tyler Shough’s receiving corps. Kellen Moore will know exactly how to utilize Lemon’s skills.” — Daniel Jeremiah, NFL.com
New Orleans was aggressive in using at least three wide receivers in their formations under Kellen Moore last season, according to Matt Harmon. That adds fuel to the fire that they need another influential presence in that room.
The Saints used 3+ WRs on 67.8% of their plays in 2025, the third-highest rate in the NFL. The exact type of team we should want to see land Makai Lemon, and he can offer inside/out flexibility alongside Chris Olave. — Matt Harmon
Lemon’s talent is worthy of a top ten pick in this class to me, and the board fell in a manner in this mock draft scenario where I would understand New Orleans taking him with the 8th overall selection. Jordyn Tyson in the first round is the other thought at WR I would hope that the Saints would have from a team building perspective.
That being said, there are potential medical concerns with his profile which may push him down the board out of the top ten. We will learn more about that at the NFL Scouting Combine in the coming days.
For Lemon, getting into an offense that won’t rely on him as the sole WR1 option would be a fantastic opportunity. He can receive less attention from defensive backs and overall game planning as a rookie if he is alongside Chris Olave.
“Lemon is one of the easier evaluations in this class. While he’s a little bit shorter, Lemon doesn’t lack bulk at 195 pounds. He plays well through contact when necessary and is a good jump ball receiver. Through his career, he caught 16-28 contested catches, including 10-15 last season. He doesn’t just win in tight spaces; Lemon creates separation with his athleticism. While he lacks an elite first step out of the block, he’s plenty fast once he gets moving, attacking the leverage of cornerbacks consistently. He’s one of the best players in this draft class.” — Tyler Forness, A to Z Sports
Why this pick makes sense for the Saints offense
Further than just play calling, New Orleans needs to supply Tyler Shough with as much firepower as possible for the offense. Adding another electric pass catcher like Lemon to the mix provides a new skill set that the depth chart doesn’t hold right now.
Add in that the Saints remain confident in Devaughn Vele’s future as a big body wideout, along with Juwan Johnson’s improvement as a tight end option. Those two will be relied upon once again, but the addition of Lemon takes even more pressure off of Chris Olave, who stayed healthier and available a season ago.
You have to consider that a major win, and his strong connection with the young QB played a hand in that step forward in consistency.
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