There doesn’t seem to be any stopping the momentum propelling Alontae Taylor. The second-year New Orleans Saints cornerback is carrying lofty expectations into 2023 (not slowed by his new jersey number), with Doug Farrar over at Touchdown Wire being the latest NFL analyst to bring up Taylor as an underrated talent around the league.
Here’s what Farrar had to say of Taylor’s prospects while highlighting a pass breakup against Los Angeles Rams receiver Van Jefferson last season:
The Saints got Taylor in the second round of the 2022 draft out of Tennessee, and the rookie proved to be a natural in Dennis Allen’s aggressive, man-heavy coverages. Last season, Taylor allowed just 29 catches on 64 targets for 283 yards, 87 yards after the catch, no touchdowns, no interceptions, 10 pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 58.3. Among rookie cornerbacks who played at least 20% of their teams’ snaps, only Sauce Gardner allowed a lower passer rating at 53.9, and Taylor’s was the fifth-lowest in the league, regardless of tenure.
Whether in the slot, or playing overhang roles, Taylor is aggressive when he needs to be, and he can also hang back and wait for things to develop. It’s not easy playing press in the slot no matter how experienced you are; you’re vulnerable to receivers who can move to both sides, and the boundary is no longer your friend.
Taylor is going to be competing with Paulson Adebo in training camp for the opportunity to start across from Marshon Lattimore, but reports out of voluntary workouts this spring say the Saints have been training him in covering the slot.
That’s not something Taylor did often in college at Tennessee (only 44 snaps from 2018 to 2021) or in his rookie year with New Orleans (just 22 snaps in 2022), but if he can comfortably handle coverage assignments out wide and in the slot it will help him get on the field early and often regardless of how that battle with Adebo unfolds.
