Don’t let the recent viral highlights of Chris Olave and Michael Thomas fool you, New Orleans Saints corner Paulson Adebo is having a fantastic sophomore training camp. Adebo surprised many with his level of play when he was thrust into the spotlight during his rookie season, but it is quite obvious he was not at the level where the Saints would be content at the position. We talked all offseason about how the drafting of Alontae Taylor and retaining of Bradley Roby were done with the purpose of pushing Adebo for his starting job, and he has certainly stepped up to the plate.
Both individual and team drills have seen Adebo making a positive impression on media and fans, likely meaning the coaches have noticed as well. Adebo has been putting his physical coverage style to use in the one-on-one drills. He has had a great camp when lined up against veteran Jarvis Landry, staying close to the former LSU player often and even jumping in front of him for an interception thrown by Jameis Winston.
Even when Adebo has lost, he has bounced back quickly to make a good play soon after. That was the story when Thomas progressed to 1-on-1’s on Friday and beat him twice, only for Adebo to rebound against other matchups later in practice.
While a roster spot may not be in question for Adebo, playing-time certainly is. Roby and Taylor are waiting for him to slip up and look vulnerable at that second corner spot. If he struggles, they’re both well-positioned to take it from him. Adebo will need to keep up his high level of play throughout the rest of camp and into the season, as he will have players chomping at the bit to get on the field behind him all year long.
And even if Adebo does hold onto his starting gig, the Saints can trust in the quality depth stacked up behind him. Roby recently spoke about the similarities to this Saints team and the Denver Broncos squad he won a Super Bowl with — filling in as the nickel behind Aqib Talib and Chris Harris. With Marshon Lattimore on top, and Adebo entering his second season as the starter opposite him, having players like Roby and Taylor ready to go at a moment’s notice would be envious around the league. The Saints will start the best player in that spot, and right now it’s Adebo.
