The New Orleans Saints coaching staff will get a first-hand look at this year’s offensive line class, as assistant coach Tobyja Hughley has been selected to lead the West offensive line group in the upcoming East-West Shrine Bowl.
Hughley, who recently joined the Saints after spending time in Miami, brings valuable experience as both a coach and a former player. He played at Louisville during the Teddy Bridgewater-Lamar Jackson era and will now have a chance to help build around Tyler Shaw.
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With New Orleans expected to prioritize interior offensive line help this offseason, Hughley’s close evaluation of these prospects could play an important role in the team’s draft preparations.
The interior group is led by Texas A&M offensive guard Amaj Reed-Adams, who is projected to be selected in the upcoming draft. At first glance, Reid-Adams is 6-foot-5, 340 pounds, using his size and strength to consistently assert his will at the line of scrimmage. Reed-Adams is an elite running back with impressive strength and athleticism who has the tools to develop into a quality starter at the next level.
Another name to note is Alabama offensive guard Jaeden Roberts, who is also projected to be drafted in the middle rounds. Roberts, who is 6-foot-5, 327 pounds, displays similar traits, particularly as a dominant run blocker who can generate movement in the trenches.
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The offensive linemen expected to attend are as follows, with rankings provided by the mock draft database:
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IOL Ar’Maj Reed-Adams, Texas A&M (153)
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IOL Jayden Roberts, Alabama (158)
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IOL Pat Coogan, Indiana (161)
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OT Fa’alili Fa’amoe, Wake Forest (184)
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OT Febechi Nwaiwu, Oklahoma (231)
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OT Riley Mallman, Wisconsin (261)
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OT James Neal, Iowa State (294)
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OT Garrett DiGiorgio, UCLA (373)
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IOL Anez Cooper, Miami (UR)
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IOL Evan Beerntsen, Northwestern University (UR)
The Saints are looking to reshape the interior of their offensive line, and the East-West Shrine Bowl gives them a chance to evaluate that in a real-world setting. Hughley’s leadership role in the West offensive line group gives the Saints a chance to glean meaningful insights into this year’s prospects who could end up being the team’s players of the future. With the draft approaching, the performance of these players will definitely have a big impact on the team’s performance in April.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: 2026 NFL Draft: Saints offensive line coach takes job at Shrine Bowl