New Orleans Saints NFC South

Polk was forced to miss the entire 2025 season due to a shoulder injury he suffered in the preseason, but it appears he's healthy again with offseason workouts now in progress. New Orleans added first-rounder Jordyn Tyson, fourth-rounder Bryce Lance and sixth-rounder Barion Brown in the 2026 NFL Draft back in April, so Polk's potential path to a spot on the final 53-man roster is a narrow one.

Rattler was inactive for New Orleans' season finale at Atlanta back in January due to a finger injury, but it doesn't seem to be an issue for him any longer. He'll be competing with Zach Wilson for the backup quarterback spot behind 2025 second-rounder Tyler Shough in 2026.

Rechsteiner earned a spot on the roster after impressing during his tryout at New Orleans' rookie minicamp. He spent his collegiate career at Jacksonville State, catching 53 passes for 629 yards and seven touchdowns across three seasons.

As the seventh overall pick in 2023 Draft and a defensive end, Wilson's fifth-year option would have come in at $14.475 million. The pass rusher's career has been disappointing thus far in relation to the draft capital invested in him, so it makes sense that the Saints' trade acquisition is more of a one-year flyer on a once-promising and athletic player and not a commitment to pursue his future. If Wilson can revive his career in 2026 with a better season, the team may look to keep his services in New Orleans long term.

Donaldson played in 13 games for Ohio State in 2025, logging 96 carries for 361 yards and 10 rushing touchdowns over his senior season. The 21-year-old spent the first three years of his collegiate career at West Virginia, logging 171 and 163 carries in his sophomore and junior seasons, respectively. As a well-built downhill back, his upside for the Saints comes as a depth option for short-yardage situations.

Jennings spent the last five seasons with the Patriots, accumulating 132 tackles and 7.5 sacks. The 2020 third-round pick was let go by New England on March 11. Jennings is heading into his age-29 season, and he should provide veteran depth behind Carl Granderson and Chase Young.

Shipley ended his final season with the Texas Longhorns 20-for-24 on field-goal attempts, with his longest make coming in at 53 yards. The kicker should provide Charlie Smyth with some competition in camp, as Smyth logged only six NFL starts with the Saints in 2025 after taking over for Blake Grupe.

Brown is a speedster who can take the top off the defense, compiling 53 catches for 532 yards and one touchdown in his senior season at LSU. He's very thin at 5-foot-11, 177 pounds, and he profiles as more of a sprinter than a polished route runner. Brown will likely be asked to add weight and muscle mass to his frame at the next level, and he'll need to clean up drops -- he totaled 21 drops over four seasons in college. One thing working in Brown's favor is his aptitude as a returner, which could help his case for a 53-man roster spot with the Saints. At receiver, Chris Olave and first-round pick Jordyn Tyson top the team's depth chart, and Devaughn Vele has shown pretty well in his first couple of NFL campaigns, but there is room for Brown to find a home and move up the depth chart if he performs well in camp.

Like seemingly all Hawkeyes cornerbacks, Hall (6-foot-1, 189 pounds) is a rugged player who is well-versed on the fundamentals. The unfortunate contrast to recent Iowa standouts Cooper DeJean and Riley Moss is that Hall is a below-average athlete by cornerback standards, logging just a 4.59-second 40-yard dash with short arms (30 inches) ill suited to press coverage. If Hall's lack of athletic traits don't hold him back, there's reason to think he has the skill set necessary to at least provide quality cornerback depth at the NFL level.

Styles didn't see much playing time over the first four years of his college career but emerged as a starter in Ohio State's secondary in 2025, when he posted 30 total tackles and three pass defenses across 12 games. He caught the attention of scouts at the 2026 NFL Combine, when he posted an impressive 4.27-second 40-yard dash time, the fastest among defensive backs. Styles struggled at times with his processing time in the secondary, but he does bring experience on special teams both in coverage and as a returner, which should help him see the field in his rookie season. On defense, his main competition for snaps will come from the likes of Jordan Howard and Jonas Sanker.

The 27-year-old from Utah is set to remain in New Orleans after spending 2025 with the team. Across 16 games and 319 total snaps (206 on special teams, 113 on defense) last season, Burgess tallied 22 tackles and three passes defensed. He's expected to remain a key special-teams contributor during the 2026 season.

Rumph appeared in all 17 regular-season games for New Orleans last season and recorded 47 tackles (24 solo), including 2.0 sacks, one forced fumble and one pass breakup as a part-time defensive player and special-teams stalwart. He should fill a similar role in 2026.