The New Orleans Saints secondary has looked different by the day, and it’ll have a new player covering the slot for the first time since 2020. C.J. Gardner-Johnson’s trade to the Philadelphia Eagles has spurred plenty of conversation surrounding the value of a slot corner and the ease of replacing one in coverage. While the monetary value is certainly debatable, the translatable skill set is a bit unique. It leaves a few question marks along the secondary and how the various pieces will fit.
It may seem as easy as sticking the next-best cornerback or safety in Gardner-Johnson’s role, but the personnel replacement isn’t that obvious. Sure, Tyrann Mathieu has played in the slot and could easily fill the vacancy, but then who is the other starting safety opposite Marcus Maye? The team has been running a decent amount of base defense with three linebacker sets, but that’d be a disservice to the secondary players to see less playing time. Let’s dig deeper:
To work from the slot, a player must have good reactive athleticism and short-area quickness. Unlike cornerbacks, the slot corner doesn’t have the sideline as leverage – and the space in the middle of the field is way more congested. Rather than backpedal at length, the defender in the slot will face a lot of cuts in tight space and must be able to quickly zig and zag in accordance with the receiver’s movements. They’ll often be in press coverage with the physicality to match tight ends and running backs who might line up as a big slot receiver. Willing tacklers are a must, and it helps if they’re an effective blitzer – like Gardner-Johnson or Mathieu for that matter.
P.J. Williams and Bradley Roby are the two secondary players with the requisite experience to cover the slot. Roby is probably tighter in coverage than Gardner-Johnson, and Williams could likely swap frequently with Mathieu at safety – as we’ve seen often through training camp. There are two less obvious but intriguing options: Justin Evans and Alontae Taylor.
Justin Evans has that dynamism the team loses in Gardner-Johnson, perhaps out of all plausible options. He hits hard. His play recognition noticeably improved in the slot since he began working at the position with Kris Richard in camp. It’s interesting to look back at those days he spent so much time being coached up by Richard covering the slot, considering the current situation for the team.
Alontae Taylor is someone whose versatility caught my eye on draft night. In learning about his skill set from his longtime trainer, Lorenzo Spikes, his ability to play cornerback and transition to safety were there. We discussed how his experience playing wide receiver would be valuable to understanding their routes and cuts at the line of scrimmage. Similarly, his time at quarterback allows him to scan the field in tandem with the opposing quarterback while accounting for receivers in his peripheral. Those traits, frankly, make him a strong candidate for the slot.
Taylor certainly has the requisite speed. Out of Taylor, Mathieu, Williams, Roby, Evans, and Gardner-Johnson, Taylor had the fastest 40-yd dash at the Combine at 4.36 – and his 1.51 10-yd split as well. He certainly is a willing tackler. And head coach Dennis Allen has already pointed to his football intelligence as he quickly ascended through camp.
Although Maye hasn’t been discussed as an option, it stuck out that he covered tight ends out of the slot against the Los Angeles Chargers when the offense lined up in 2-by-2 formations. Those plays featured single-high safety coverage where Mathieu backpedaled into free safety. When Gardner-Johnson’s night was done, DaMarcus Fields – who didn’t make the 53-man roster – covered the slot when the team ran nickel. But Justin Evans was the one who covered the slot in 2-by-2 and 3-by-2 formations – including his forced fumble and tackle that knocked the ball incomplete on third down. Those two plays highlighted his quick play recognition and reactive athleticism that would serve well in the slot.
What’s irreplaceable is the energy of Gardner-Johnson and his ability to get under opponents’ skin. Emotional voids are hard to fill, but New Orleans has the personnel to absorb the loss of their primary slot corner for the last three seasons. If there was anything to take away from last season, it was the value of Kris Richard’s coaching. He coached up Paulson Adebo and P.J. Williams while Marshon Lattimore had the best season of his career. It’s not hard to picture his ability to do the same with the ten remaining defensive backs.
