New Orleans Saints Sophomore Spotlight: Brian Dixon

The New Orleans Saints hope to be quite loaded in the secondary in 2015. With Jairus Byrd returning from a season-ending knee injury, Kenny Vaccaro looking to rebound, and the addition of Brandon Browner as a free agent acquisition, Keenan Lewis finally has some help. Those are just the starters. The depth is something to be excited about as well, which is why, today, we take a look at second-year cornerback Brian Dixon as part of our ‘Sophomore Spotlight’ series.

Small schools mean nothing to the New Orleans Saints. Head coach Sean Payton is here to give anybody a shot with his ‘may the best man win’ mentality. That’s been clear for some time now – Marques Colston, Jahri Evans, Khiry Robinson, Tim Lelito, Pierre Warren, etc.

Brian Dixon is a product of the NCAA Division II school known as Northwest Missouri State University, appearing in 25 games (22 starts) for the Bearcats and totaling 51 tackles, six interception and a blocked punt return for a touchdown. Dixon was picked up by the Saints as an undrafted free agent following the 2014 NFL Draft where his twin brother Brandon had been selected in the sixth round by the New York Jets.

As a rookie, his playing time was very limited. However, he impressed enough to earn snaps in all 16 games, recording 15 tackles, a pass defended and a forced fumble. He’s a solid athlete, bringing good size and speed to the cornerback position, but he’ll remain an underdog to make the final roster for a second-straight year.

New Orleans stacked up with cornerbacks this offseason, signing three (Brandon Browner, Delvin Breaux, Kyle Wilson) and drafting two (P.J. Williams, Damian Swann).

Between competition and an offseason arrest in March (allegedly resisted arrest after traffic stop in Miami) that may force him to miss time during training camp due to his trial, Brian Dixon will certainly have his work cut out for him.

Assuming Keenan Lewis and Browner stay injury free as the the summer progresses, and with a total of eight corners on the roster, Dixon must bring his A-game. Because, as of right now, he looks to be one of the odd men out. Again, Sean Payton will pick the best guys for the job, so it’s time for Dixon to step up and prove his worth as a defensive back in one of the most anticipated uphill battles of the summer.

More from Who Dat Dish

Home/Saints News