Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder recently published a piece where they predicted one breakout player from each NFL team. It can be incredibly difficult to predict a breakout player, let alone predict one for 32 NFL teams.
For the New Orleans Saints, B/R settled on cornerback Paulson Adebo as their breakout player in 2024. Here is Holder’s reasoning for the former Stanford Cardinal as the pick:
In a way, Adebo “broke out” last season by recording four interceptions, 18 passes defended and a 69.9 passer rating when targeted, per Pro Football Focus, to earn an 80.5 coverage grade from PFF. However, that didn’t result in any post-season recognition, making the corner eligible for this column.
Look for the 2021 third-round pick to continue to build on that strong performance, especially with the addition of pass-rusher Chase Young which should make the entire secondary’s life easier, and become a Pro Bowler or All-Pro this fall.
Holder essentially admitted that Adebo took a huge step forward in his individual play in 2023, but because he wasn’t yet recognized on one of those all-star lists, it didn’t matter. He has already broken out. Teams know that and, if Adebo can maintain his level of play, it’ll be reflected in his next contract once he becomes a free agent in 2025 — assuming the Saints don’t re-sign him sooner.
The Saints have plenty of players who are ready to take the next step and would’ve been better candidates. Linebacker Pete Werner and wide receiver Rashid Shaheed are two good players who have the potential to take the next step this season. Two dark horse options are Nick Saldiveri and Trevor Penning, and it would mean a lot to see either (or both) offensive lineman make a big impact. As far as Adebo is concerned, he’s already a known quantity.
