Saints Trade Up for Tate, Banks in Mock Draft

0:00On April 6th, the New Orleans Saints hold the number 8 pick in the 2026 NFL draft, and they got some real roster gaffes to fill. Defense took hits with the Mario Davis gun and Cameron Jordan possibly out, plus their wider receiver group ranks near the bottom without solid depth. Behind Chris Olave, ESPN analyst Bill Barnwell dropped a mat trade that could shake things up. It shipped their number 8 pick, number 73, and number 172 to the New York Giants for cornerback Deonte Banks, uh, Banks and the Giants number 5 selection, jumping them up 3 spots. Fans and analysts see this as a win-win, with Banks bringing 6 foot 2 size as a young corner from the 2023 draft who's still growing. He could slot in against top receivers, replace Alente Taylor and even handle kick returns for that extra spark. The big prize here is Ohio State's Carnail Tate at number 5, a smooth deep threat who separates from defenders, wins jump balls and shakes tackles in open space.

1:05That talent upgrades the receiver room without breaking the bank on picks. If New Orleans pulls this off, it patches keyhole smartly and keeps them in the hunt draft day. Moves like these could flip their whole off season, flow. That's the story for today. NFL News Today, Driven by AI