We probably shouldn’t ready too deeply into this, but it’s tough to ignore against the backdrop of Marshon Lattimore trade speculation. Senior Bowl director Jim Nagy noted that the New Orleans Saints were one of four teams whose coaches were running drills with defensive backs at Alabama’s pro day this week — a group that included first-round cornerbacks Terrion Arnold and Kool-Aid McKinstry.
Now that’s interesting. Whether it was senior assistant Peter Giunta (who often handles this job on the pro day circuit each year), defensive backs coach Marcus Robertson or someone else on staff, the Saints have always put a premium on their secondary with Dennis Allen on staff. If their position coaches like what they’ve seen, it’s going to weigh into the front office’s decisions.
It’s a fascinating situation, but not particularly pleasant. If a split with Lattimore is in the cards, it could make sense to look to the draft for his replacement. Paulson Adebo is entering a contract year, so it’s very possible the Saints would need to be replacing both starting corners within 12 months, and Alontae Taylor can’t be everywhere at once.
Still, drafting a first-round defensive back (even one as talented as Arnold or McKinstry) would be a heck of a luxury pick for New Orleans. The Saints are actively navigating free agency with some glaring problems left to address like competition for Trevor Penning at left tackle and an upgrade over James Hurst at left guard. They should be considering another pass rusher or pass catcher (either one of the top wideouts or Georgia tight end Brock Bowers) at No. 14 overall, too. There’s certainly a scenario where the Saints could draft a cornerback early on, but there are too many other fires to put out first.
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