Martin Emerson Jr. had a breakout performance in the New Orleans Saints' victory over the New York Giants, and he was rewarded with the NFC Defensive Player of the Week. Not only did he have his best game of the season, Emerson had the best game by any Saints cornerback this year. It's just one game, but it's enough to say Emerson should be starting.
Kool-Aid McKinstry was dealing with a migraine that kept him out of most of the game, and the result was Emerson playing his most role of the season. Emerson took that opportunity, ran with it, and gave Brandon Staley something to think about moving forward.
Emerson ended the game with four passes defensed, including two interceptions. He nearly had a third interception in the fourth quarter. The Saints only had 1 interception all season as a team going into the game. McKinstry has four passes defensed all season, and Riley has three.
Starting Martin Emerson gives Saints their best secondary
NFC Players of the Week! (Week 6) @CALEBcsw | @C_Ryland38 pic.twitter.com/4Qlz0zyRtP
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Putting Emerson into the starting lineup would be a reaction to his performance, but it wouldn't be completely out of nowhere. Emerson has spent most of rotating with Riley. It's not common to see cornerbacks being rotated, so that goes to show you how much Staley valued Emerson's talent prior to this game.
Stats aside, Emerson challenged receivers and played with an aggressiveness we've wanted to see from the Saints defensive backs. It was refreshing to see, and seeing that the Saints were already finding ways to get Emerson in the lineup, it isn't a huge leap to say this game earned him more snaps. It's enough to argue that he and Riley should flip positions in how frequently they're being used.
McKinstry and Riley have been typically viewed as the corners who can be the Saints future corners moving forward, but stubborness is avoiding what's in front of you. Emerson has the hot hand, and it's worth seeing if it was a flash in pan or a reflection of who Emerson can be.
Before he was a preseason star in New Orleans, Emerson was a starting cornerback for the Browns and had a pair of strong campaigns. Then, he missed all of 2025 in a contract year. This is a good chance to see if he can be a starting caliber cornerback again.
Emerson is only a year older than Riley, despite the difference in pro experience, so age shouldn't be a factor when discussing cornerbacks of the future. It's also a chance that this gives you the most impactful five defensive backs on the field for New Orleans.
Riley could still be a part of that five. He was a candidate to play the STAR role in the preseason before the team landed on Jonas Sanker. Sanker has been solid in the role, but he hasn't been used in the way some thought he'd be. It's resulted in him being good but not as impactful as he was in his rookie year.
Staley isn't using Sanker as an attacking player, and he's essentially playing a true slot corner. How about getting an actual corner to do that? Sanker could move back to safety, which would allow him to be the attacking player that fans got to know last year.
Justin Reid being the odd man out is likely why the Saints won't do it, but it's not the worst idea. Emerson, McKinstry, Riley, Sanker and Julian Blackmon has the makings of a high ceiling secondary.
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