Alontae Taylor is the New Orleans Saints defensive player of the month. Dennis Allen praised Taylor frequently this offseason, and Taylor continues to showcase why he was worthy of the comments.
This was a tough pick between him and safety Tyrann Mathieu. The secondary was expected to be the strength of the team, so it makes sense the two leading candidates for the team come from the unit.
Between Taylor, Mathieu and contributions from Marshon Lattimore and Kool-Aid McKinstry, the secondary has lived up to the billing.
Mathieu is responsible for the most turnovers on the team. He has 2 interceptions, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. However, the nod goes to Taylor because of his surprising pass rush and improved coverage ability in the slot.
Taylor leads the Saints in sacks despite being a nickel cornerback. In Week 1, he set a team record for most sacks by a defensive back in a game. Taylor also was tasked with covering CeeDee Lamb often in Week 2. Taylor lived up to the billing.
Taylor looks more comfortable in the slot and has impacted the game in multiple ways. For that, he earns the player of the month.
