Why Saints DB Alontae Taylor is set to breakout in 2023
If you followed the New Orleans Saints a season ago, you heard the name Alontae Taylor on defense. Taylor was a rookie defensive back that played with tons of effort and grit. He made impact stops in the running game with big hits and broke up a ton of passes down the field for the […]
If you followed the New Orleans Saints a season ago, you heard the name Alontae Taylor on defense. Taylor was a rookie defensive back that played with tons of effort and grit. He made impact stops in the running game with big hits and broke up a ton of passes down the field for the Saints. They needed his emergence, especially when Marshon Lattimore had to miss time.
Now, Lattimore is back and healthy, and the two of them form quite the dynamic duo at CB for New Orleans. For Lattimore, it will be something major for him if Taylor lives up to his hype.
Lattimore has never had a safe, top-flight CB2 behind him on the Saints. For the most part, it has either been a declining veteran on a short-term deal or an unproven, young guy on the other side at cornerback.
Taylor can change that. After a first season where had a team-high 11 pass breakups, you could project that his interception number goes up this season. The Saints were one of the worst teams in causing turnovers last season, but that needs to change this year. Lattimore and Taylor will play a big role in that, so both of them need to stay on the field, too.
Brian Baldinger of NFL.com believes that Taylor is one of the top 10 cornerbacks set to breakout this season. If you don't count last year as a breakout, this one could be extremely special with another step forward form the former Tennessee Volunteer.
Taylor was thrown into a much bigger role than anticipated in 2022, with Marshon Lattimore missing time due to injury. As a nine-game rookie starter for the Saints, the second-round pick recorded a team-high 11 pass breakups while defending some of the league's top wideouts, including Davante Adams in Taylor's second NFL start. I can see Taylor and Lattimore being a top-tier cornerback tandem on a defense that has good depth at the position. — Baldinger via NFL.com
The hype is real for Taylor. Lattimore needs a 'Robin' to his 'Batman' – if you will. The young DB plays with enough energy for an entire defense, but his progression and polish could take the cornerback room and the entire Saints defense to a new level in 2023.
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