The New Orleans Saints are about to enter one of the most important seasons in franchise history. Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees finally hung his cleats up after last season, leaving the Saints with a question mark at the most important position on the field. New Orleans is a pretty complete roster, but there are a couple positions that could use some additions as they try to surround their new quarterback with the most talented roster possible.

The Saints desperately need another wide receiver, as there has been very little help at the position behind Michael Thomas. There are plenty of potential targets for New Orleans here, with two of them standing out as strong options.  The middle of the defense has also taken a hit, with the Saints sporting very little depth behind star linebacker Demario Davis.

Here are three potential trade candidates for the Saints.

N'Keal Harry

This is one of the more obvious choices for the Saints. Harry has expressed his displeasure with the New England Patriots and has requested a trade. New Orleans should be interested on taking a shot on a former first-round pick who could benefit tremendously from a change of scenery.

Harry has played poorly throughout the first two years of his career. He's posted only 414 yards and four touchdowns in that span while battling injuries for much of the journey. He was billed as a physical receiver who could dominate at the catch point in college, but that skillset hasn't translated to the NFL.

But moving to New Orleans could mean a lot more one-on-one matchups for Harry as defenses stress about Michael Thomas. His size and strength could be utilized in the red zone against smaller defensive backs that are forced to play without any sort of help because of Thomas' presence. Head coach Sean Payton is also one of the best offensive minds in football, so if anyone can think of a good way to utilize Harry, it's him. A six or seventh round pick would be enough to get the former first-rounder in black and gold.

Sterling Shepard

Shepard is another receiver who seems to have overstayed his welcome with the team that drafted him. The New York Giants just drafted a pass-catcher who will inevitably take most of Shepard's playing time in Kadarius Toney. New York also has plenty of depth at the position, as they signed Kenny Golladay in the offseason to pair with starter Darius Slayton. Shepard doesn't seem to have a place on this roster anymore, giving the Saints a great opportunity to snag him for cheap.

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JC Latham (Alabama), Chris Braswell (Alabama not Jaguars), Cornelieus Johnson (Michigan) in action behind a New Orleans Saints logo with a 2024 NFL Draft background.

Dylan Bruton ·

While Shepard hasn't been the most productive receiver since entering the league in 2016, he is the exact type of player that the Saints need. New Orleans already has Michael Thomas and Tre'Quan Smith pencilled into their outside receiver positions, leaving the slot open. Shepard has almost exclusively played in the slot throughout his career, so the fit is perfect. The former Oklahoma Sooner has shown that he can be a successful NFL receiver when healthy, and that should be good enough for the Saints to trade a late-round pick for him.

Jordan Hicks

Hicks is a super underrated player who just can't seem to catch a break. He played well for the Philadelphia Eagles, but then the Eagles decided he was too expensive to keep around. He just completed a strong season for the Arizona Cardinals, but the Cardinals just selected another linebacker in the first round. Hicks has already been granted permission to seek a trade, and the Saints would be wise to pursue him.

The Saints have former All-Pro Demario Davis manning the middle of the defense, but the depth behind him is thin. New Orleans did just select linebacker Pete Werner in the second round, but there's a good chance he needs some time to develop before he can play real snaps. Hicks would give the Saints another rock-solid option at linebacker, making this already good defense even better. He would start in Week 1 for New Orleans and he shouldn't be too hard to trade for. This is a slam dunk all around.