One of the positions that almost all count on the New Orleans Saints to deal with early on within the 2026 NFL Draft is wide receiver. Given the state of the roster on the finish of final season, it would not in any respect be stunning if the Saints drafted two wideouts. If so, CJ Daniels from the Miami Hurricanes is one of some names to look at at this place via the later rounds.
New Orleans has one productive receiver in Chris Olave, who’s coming off his finest season and sure will get a contract extension very quickly. Behind Olave, Devaughn Vele and Ja’Lynn Polk have thrilling potential however are each unproven and coming off accidents. This is principally why the Saints are predicted to draft a receiver early. The skinny nature of the depth chart can be why it would not be stunning if the crew added one other go catcher with a late spherical selection.
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CJ Daniels bio
From Parkview High School in Georgia, Daniels made the choice to affix the Liberty Flames to begin his collegiate profession. He would not see quite a lot of motion throughout his freshman 12 months of 2020, however nonetheless caught 11 balls for yards 220 yards and three scores. Daniels had 37 receptions for 634 yards in 2021, second on his crew in each classes, along with his 7 touchdowns main all Independent packages. Injury price him many of the 2022 season, however Daniels bounced again to guide the Flames with 55 catches, 1,057 yards and 10 scores in 2023 in being named 2nd Team All-Conference USA.
After the 2023 marketing campaign, Daniels transferred to the LSU Tigers. He caught 42 passes for 480 yards with the Tigers in 2024, however did not attain the top zone and transferred to the Miami Hurricanes for 2025. Daniels was an underrated weapon for a Hurricanes squad that reached the nationwide championship recreation. His 7 landing receptions had been second on the crew, as he contributed 50 receptions and 557 yards.
Strengths
Consistent tempo in routes with good breaks
Outstanding protection recognition
Excellent at discovering open areas in zones
Uses physique properly to defend defenders
Variety of fakes to create separation
Quick flip upfield for further yardage
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Weaknesses
Doesn’t have top-end pace to separate
Not significantly elusive after the catch
Durability points in 3 of final 4 years
Needs to be sooner out of breaks
CJ Daniels 2026 draft outlook
Most projections have Daniels getting drafted within the late rounds, if in any respect. His lack of separation pace alongside along with his age (24) will probably forestall him from going larger. However, he does have the instruments to stay on a roster and even make a good impression. Daniels is a artful route runner with respectable dimension and good fingers with robust protection recognition. He’ll probably be only from the slot, the place he may carve out a constant position.
Young quarterbacks want a dependable slot goal, which frequently hurries up their improvement. The Saints have such a quarterback in Tyler Shough and wish a constant weapon via the intermediate zones. New Orleans has had success with late-round and undrafted gamers at wide receiver. It’s definitely too early to imagine if CJ Daniels can have that form of success, however he does have the talents to be a quarterback’s safety blanket and strengthen a crew’s depth chart.
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This article initially appeared on Saints Wire: 2026 NFL Draft: Miami Hurricanes receiver CJ Daniels scouting report
