NOLA Saints might have reached on Alontae Taylor at pick 49
The NOLA Saints‘ second-round pick is Alontae Taylor, who now joins the team as the 49th overall pick. The Saints barely missed out on safety Jaquan Brisker but added another secondary weapon in the form of Taylor.
The pick seemed to surprise some Saints fans, but the addition of Taylor might have been because of his versatility. He might be listed as a cornerback but a move to safety here might be what ends up happening and that’s what Kat Terrell noted that Dane Brugler said.
Saints select Tennessee DB Alontae Taylor. Dane Brugler says: "Taylor was primarily an outside corner for the Volunteers, but he has versatility across the secondary, and a move to safety might be his best option because of his range and physical demeanor."
— Katherine Terrell (@Kat_Terrell) April 30, 2022
The Saints probably didn’t need to go with a cornerback this early but if they opt to move Taylor to safety, then this makes a little more sense.
NOLA Saints select Alontae Taylor No. 49 overall
The cornerback situation is decent for NOLA, as they have a lot of young talent locked up for a few years. Safety, however, needs some fine-tuning. Marcus Williams left in free agency and Malcolm Jenkins retired so maybe the plan is to have Taylor transition to safety and play in a variety of different packages.
I’m a little disappointed with this pick. The Saints could have grabbed Nakobe Dean, Perrion Winfrey, or even quarterback Malik Willis, who has plummeted down the draft board. I wouldn’t have been mad seeing the team go with Willis in the second round.
Taylor isn’t necessarily a bad player but this definitely felt like a reach by them. Hopefully he surprises all of us and becomes a nice player for New Orleans’ secondary.
With the 49th pick of the #NFLDraft, the #Saints select Tennessee CB Alontae Taylor!#SaintsDraft⚜️ @CoxComm pic.twitter.com/h8HLrJ6CXQ
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) April 30, 2022
While this might have been a reach, the New Orleans Saints are a team that values adding depth in their secondary and Taylor provides just that. He’s fast and should be an interesting addition to this squad but I don’t blame fans for being bummed about the selection.
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What are your thoughts on the Alontae Taylor pick, Saints fans?