A new 2026 NFL mock draft has the New Orleans Saints passing on a quarterback at No. 4 overall. Instead, The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner projects Miami edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. as the next cornerstone of Kellen Moore’s defense.
Baumgardner has the Saints taking Bain, a 6-foot-3, 275-pound disruptor with top-10 buzz, even with multiple quarterback options still on the board.
New Mock Draft Has Saints Passing on QB at No. 4
In Baumgardner’s top-10 projection, the Tennessee Titans take Ohio State edge Arvell Reese first overall, followed by Auburn edge Keldric Faulk to the Las Vegas Raiders and versatile Ohio State defensive back Caleb Downs to the New York Jets. The Saints come up at No. 4 and grab Bain, giving New Orleans another blue-chip defender instead of dipping into what many evaluators view as a murky quarterback class.
Baumgardner notes that Bain can be a “tough evaluation” because of some hot-and-cold stretches, but he also frames the Miami star as having a real case as the best edge rusher in the class when he’s locked in. The mock specifically mentions the Raiders, Saints and Jets as teams that could be in the quarterback market, with Ty Simpson, Fernando Mendoza and Dante Moore all available at that point, but still sends Bain to New Orleans.
That’s an early national signal that analysts are at least open to the idea of the Saints sticking with their in-house quarterback options and using a premium pick on a defensive cornerstone instead.
What Landing Rueben Bain Jr. Would Mean for the Saints Defense
On paper, Bain looks like a natural fit for a Saints front that’s still built around proven veterans. New Orleans currently leans on Cameron Jordan, Carl Granderson and Chase Young on the edges, with former first-rounder Bryan Bresee inside.
Bain’s profile screams “future centerpiece” in that group. At Miami, he burst onto the scene as a freshman with double-digit tackles for loss and serious sack production, earning ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year honors and early-round projections. Scouting reports highlight his rare blend of leverage and power at 275 pounds, plus the explosiveness to threaten tackles off the edge and the strength to kick inside on passing downs.
For the Saints, who have leaned on Jordan for a decade and watched their pass rush ebb and flow in recent seasons, adding a young, scheme-versatile edge with Bain’s toolkit would give them a clearer succession plan. It also aligns with where new-age defenses are going, stacking difference-makers on the line and letting them wreck games while the back end plays fast and opportunistic.
How a Bain Pick Fits the Saints’ Bigger 2026 Draft Plan
Mock-draft order this early is fluid, but the Saints sitting at No. 4 reflects how rough the 2025 season has been. New Orleans is 2-9 and in last place in the NFC South, a record that would easily put them in top-five territory if it holds.
That standing naturally raises the quarterback question, but recent coverage around the team has suggested the Saints may not be locked into taking a passer, especially if young quarterback Tyler Shough continues to show flashes. National pieces have already floated the idea that Shough’s hot streak could change New Orleans’ draft calculus and push the front office toward building around him instead of starting over under center in a weaker QB class.
Baumgardner’s mock tracks with that line of thinking. Rather than forcing a quarterback into the top five, he leans into the strength of the 2026 class — impact defenders like Reese, Faulk, Downs and Bain — and gives the Saints another premium talent at a traditionally expensive position. If New Orleans believes it has at least a short-term answer at quarterback, using a top-five pick on a pass rusher who can grow alongside Bresee and the rest of this young core could be the more sustainable play.
There’s a long way to go before the real 2026 draft order is set, and the Saints’ final record, coaching future and quarterback outlook could all change the equation. But for now, national mocks like this one are painting a clear picture: if New Orleans ends up near the top of the board again, the rest of the league expects them to keep leaning into defense — and Rueben Bain Jr. is already being circled as a potential face of that next-generation Saints front.
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