The New Orleans Saints are expected to address wide receiver early in the 2026 NFL Draft, and it would not be surprising if they took two at the position. One of the names that could surface is Cj Daniels, the Miami Hurricanes receiver whose route running and hands have kept him on draft boards even as many projections leave him in the late rounds or undrafted.
Daniels is 24 years old and has spent the last four seasons moving from program to program while producing when healthy. He started at Liberty in 2020 with 11 catches for 220 yards and three touchdowns, then followed with 37 receptions for 634 yards and seven touchdowns in 2021, which led all Independent programs. An injury cost him most of the 2022 season, but he came back in 2023 to lead Liberty with 55 catches, 1,057 yards and 10 touchdowns while earning second-team All-Conference USA honors.
After that season, Daniels transferred to LSU, where he caught 42 passes for 480 yards in 2024 but did not score a touchdown. He moved again to Miami for 2025 and produced 50 receptions for 557 yards and seven touchdown catches as the Hurricanes reached the national championship game. That stretch gave him a different kind of résumé: not a star prospect, but a receiver who has done enough at multiple stops to stay relevant heading into the draft.
For the Saints, the appeal is tied to need as much as upside. They are thin at wide receiver behind Chris Olave, while Devaughn Vele and Ja'Lynn Polk are viewed as intriguing but unproven options coming off injuries. New Orleans also has quarterback Tyler Shough, and the offense needs a consistent weapon through the intermediate zones. Daniels fits that description as a crafty route runner with decent size, good hands and strong coverage recognition, and he is likely to be most effective from the slot.
The catch is where the market has placed him. Most projections have Daniels going in the late rounds, if he is drafted at all, which makes him the sort of player teams can target after the headline names are gone. For the Saints, that matters because the work at receiver may not end after one pick. If they do go receiver early, Daniels could be the kind of later addition who helps fill out the room and gives Shough another reliable target between the numbers.
