Pass catcher: Bringing back Kyle Pitts would be a nice start, otherwise spending at least one of the team's two top-80 picks on a wide receiver or tight end makes sense. Consider: Drake London and Pitts are the only pass catchers the team has drafted before Round 6 since 2018!

Cornerback: What is possible, and even encouraged: Taking a corner with the team's second- or third-round pick. After all, this organization has only drafted two defensive backs in Rounds 1-3 during the last five years combined – tied for the fourth-lowest mark in the league!

Front Seven: Solidifying the team's interior defensive line (3rd cheapest group entering 2026) and linebacker (9th cheapest) rooms ahead of next season will give this defense a chance to go from good to great.

Pass Rush: Derrick Brown is a beast on the interior, but otherwise more capable bodies need to be added to the trenches.

Offensive Line: Carolina has also drafted only two offensive linemen in Rounds 1-3 during the last five drafts combined, which is tied for the third-lowest mark in the league.

Pass Catcher: With next season looking like a make-or-break year for Bryce Young as the potential long-term leader of the franchise, it's more paramount than ever to make sure he has a competent group of playmakers to throw the football to.

Wide Receiver: Devaughn Vele did some good things down the stretch, but more firepower is needed after sending Rashid Shaheed to Seattle at the trade deadline.

Offensive Line: Getting better injury luck could be enough for this group to take a step forward in Year 2 under head coach Kellen Moore, although at a minimum some depth is needed with Dillon Radunz (62.2% snap rate in 2025) and Luke Fortner (60.3%) hitting the open market.

Cornerback: While using the team's No. 8 overall pick on offense makes sense, it'd be nice to see the Saints leave Day 2 of the draft with at least one new addition to their secondary.

Front Seven: Longtime run-stuffer extraordinaire Vita Vea is now 31 and entering the last year of his deal. It'd be surprising to not see at least one of the team's three draft picks used on the front seven.

Cornerback: The team doesn't need to go crazy here should they believe better days are ahead for 2025 second-rounder Benjamin Morrison (missed 7 games due to a hip labrum tear) and third-rounder Jacob Parrish, but something needs to be done to improve a pass defense that has allowed the most passing yards in the NFL over the course of the last three seasons.

Tight End: The last time Tampa Bay actually drafted a tight end inside the top-100 picks? OJ Howard back in 2017! Now, the team's loaded wide receiver room makes it fine to refrain from devoting too much dough to a pass-catching tight end, but at a minimum actual breathing human beings need to be added here.