To no surprise of anyone who regularly watches the New Orleans Saints, Marshon Lattimore is considered one of the top cornerbacks around the league. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN has been releasing a series of positional rankings decided on by votes from NFL executives, coaches, scouts, and players.
And they’re in agreement with highly-regarded Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson, who last week put Lattimore in the same conversation with Jalen Ramsey for the toughest opponents he’s seen since turning pro. The ESPN polling results had Ramsey at No. 1 and Lattimore at No. 2. Not bad company to be with.
I think it is fair to say that on any down, either are capable of being the best in the NFL. Lattimore has always been a player who plays up to his opponent, but not always consistently reaching that elite level. But anyone who can take out a teams best receiver completely out of the game should be given a ton of respect.
Here is what Fowler shared from conversations with figures around the NFL:
“He can really do it all,” said an AFC exec who voted Lattimore No. 1 overall. Fifteen of Lattimore’s pass deflections came in man coverage, which he plays a lot. He was known early in his career for getting up for matchups with top receivers and playing down to lesser talent, but some voters believed he improved his consistency last year.
“He got back closer to what he looked like [in his] first couple of years in the league,” an NFC defensive coach said. “Hit a turning point in the season where he was really at his best and it showed up. Physical and competitive, strong as hell.”
Added an AFC defensive coach: “He’s a guy you can ask to take away a top guy and he does it. One of the few players who can do that.”
His ranking at No. 2 puts him ahead of a ton of strong candidates such as Jaire Alexander of the Green Bay Packers, Denzel Ward of the Cleveland Browns, and Marlon Humphrey of the Baltimore Ravens. The only other NFC South corner listed in the top 10 was the Atlanta Falcons’ A.J. Terrell. The Saints are putting a lot of pressure on their defense to win games for them in 2022, and it’s easy to see why they’ve got such strong confidence in the group — Lattimore is joined by teammates on these lists like Cameron Jordan, Demario Davis, and Tyrann Mathieu. We’ll see how it all comes together once training camp kicks off in just a few short weeks.
