Instant draft grade: What to make of Saints picking Barion Brown?

The New Orleans Saints have selected wide receiver Barion Brown in Round 6 of the 2026 NFL Draft -- one of the top return specialists in this class gets to stay in Louisiana.

Another pick, another grade. Let’s hand out our initial thoughts on Barion Brown and how he fits with the Saints.

Grade: B

The Saints land a special teams weapon late in the draft with the selection of LSU wide receiver Barion Brown. Brown transferred to LSU last season after spending his first three years at Kentucky, where he established himself as one of the nation’s premier kick returners. He finished his collegiate career with six kick-return touchdowns while averaging 29.4 yards per return.

With true sprinter speed and game-breaking explosiveness, Brown should have an immediate path to contributing in the return game while also offering upside as a depth receiver. He has the tools to help replace some of the special teams value the Saints lost with Rashid Shaheed last season.

This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Instant draft grade: What to make of Saints picking Barion Brown?