The 2022 NFL draft went off without a hitch for the New Orleans Saints, who for once followed the track laid out in a lot of mock drafts by picking wide receiver Chris Olave and left tackle Trevor Penning in the first round. But things went off the rails in round two — as far as fans could see, anyway, in the surprise selection of Tennessee cornerback Alontae Taylor. Corner wasn’t widely seen as a need, and there was pre-draft speculation that Taylor might be converted to safety in the NFL. The pick was a little confusing, from the outside looking in.
Taylor has been rotating in and out of drills with Paulson Adebo, the 2021 third rounder who worked his way into the starting lineup. And the competition between them might be more intense than we’d first expect. A couple of months and many reps in practice later, and Saints head coach Dennis Allen has been surprised by Taylor, too. But Allen is enjoying what he’s seeing out of the first-year pro.
“I really like (Taylor). I think he’s probably a little further ahead than what I anticipated when he got in here,” Allen told Nola.com’s Rod Walker, adding: “I’m excited about seeing what he can do.”
We shouldn’t read too deeply into quotes like that in June, but it’s worth acknowledging that Taylor has a shot at displacing Adebo if things go his way. He’s doing the right things and competing well in practice, which is as strong a start to the process as you could hope for. It’s a result of the hard work Taylor has put into developing his craft.
And Adebo’s rookie year wasn’t flawless. Sure, he was the only defender on the team to start in all 17 games, but he also led New Orleans with 7 penalties (1 declined), which tied the NFL lead among rookie corners. Pro Football Focus charting found he yielded 733 receiving yards into his coverage, the highest total in the 2021 draft class. He was also dinged with 10 missed tackles, 7 of them on passing plays. It’s fair to say he had his ups and downs.
So it’s far from impossible to imagine Taylor trotting out there in the season opener against those dirty birds wearing Malcolm Jenkins’ old No. 27 jersey. If anything, things are shaping up for a fascinating training camp battle between two talented young corners. With Marshon Lattimore anchoring one side of the field and Bradley Roby waiting for either of them to slip up, the Saints finally seem to have real depth at cornerback. Let’s see how it all shakes out.
