“Under the radar.” “Underrated.” “Secret.” Adjectives like these have commonly been used to describe New Orleans Saints cornerback Paulson Adebo this offseason. Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder is the latest to use such a term, having labeled the cornerback as the Saints’ best-kept secret, and he’s not wrong.
When landing on each team’s secret player, Holder laid out a few requirements. Any player who has made the Pro Bowl or All-Pro in their career cannot be considered a secret. First round picks are also automatically ineligible for this list. Here’s why Holder argues Adebo stands apart:
While Marshon Lattimore gets most of the recognition in the Saints’ secondary, Adebo has been a good player in his own right over the last three years. The 2021 third-round pick has shown impressive ball skills since entering the league, logging seven interceptions and 33 passes defended. His 18 PBUs a year ago were the third-most in the NFL.
Adebo is coming off the best season of his three-year career. Everything came together Adebo in his Year 3. His 4 interceptions and 18 pass deflections weren’t just career highs, they doubled his career totals. His ball production was the most notable improvement. Playmaking aside, he simply had better coverage in his third year.
Most impressively, Adebo did it largely in the absence of Marshon Lattimore. This left the responsibility of being the lead cornerback for the last two months of the season. He owned that challenge and never took a step back. If Adebo sustains his level of play, he likely won’t be a secret after this season.
