Projecting New Orleans Saints rookie roles in 2022 season

Alontae Taylor: Backup Cornerback

It was a bit of a surprise when NOLA spent their second-round pick on Alontae Taylor out of Tennessee. They seemed pretty well-stocked at cornerback but safety, at least at the time, was a position they desperately needed an upgrade at.

The consensus on social media and amongst the fan base seemed to be that once the Bears took Penn State’s Jaquan Brisker one pick ahead of New Orleans, the front office panicked and went with their next guy on the board, which was Taylor. Still, it was a bit of a surprising move, mostly because Taylor wasn’t a big name.

Even with that being the case, Taylor enters the Big Easy with a chance to compete for a starting job. He’ll be duking it out with last year’s third-round pick Paulson Adebo, who impressed during his rookie season in 2021.

John Sigler of Saints Wire wrote that this battle between Taylor and Adebo would be the biggest position battle to watch this summer.

"New Orleans’ coaching staff is capable enough to make room for both players in different situations, but Adebo very much has to compete for his spot in the starting lineup. And Taylor brings enough to the table to make it a real competition."

Ultimately, Adebo probably wins the job but if Taylor brings his best, it’s not unfathomable that he could be a starter and not a backup.