Former Tennessee Vols standout sends strong message to critics
Former Tennessee Vols defensive back Alontae Taylor had a message for his critics on Friday. Taylor, who was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the second round (No. 49 overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft, proved this season to be one of the biggest steals in last year's draft. The former Tennessee standout got […]
Former Tennessee Vols defensive back Alontae Taylor had a message for his critics on Friday.
Taylor, who was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the second round (No. 49 overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft, proved this season to be one of the biggest steals in last year's draft.
The former Tennessee standout got off to a slow start with the Saints, mostly appearing on special teams in the first two weeks of the season before landing on IR.
But when Taylor returned, he immediately moved into a key role for New Orleans due to Marshon Lattimore's abdomen injury. Taylor responded by playing most of the Saints' defensive snaps over the final 11 games of the season.
Getting that type of contribution from a rookie defensive back that was drafted in the second round isn't typical.
Taylor, who played at Tennessee from 2018 to 2021, made sure on Friday that his critics know that he hasn't forgotten what they said about him when he was drafted by the Saints — specifically the criticism that New Orleans "reached" for Taylor in the draft.
I'm sure Vols fans are thrilled to see another former Tennessee player excelling in the NFL.
The great thing for UT fans is that Taylor's success in the NFL is going to help the Vols when it comes to recruiting, too.
Right now, Tennessee is known for its fast-paced offense that scores a ton of points. But if they want to take the next step and challenge Georgia in the SEC, they'll need an elite defense. Taylor's success in the NFL shows that Tennessee can develop defensive players and get them to the NFL. And that should certainly be attractive to recruits.
Featured image via Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK
