The New Orleans Saints might have found themselves something in Alontae Taylor. The rookie draft pick out of Tennessee has looked the part, competing well against some of the NFL’s best receivers while carving out his niche in the New Orleans secondary.
“He’s playing outstanding,” said head coach Dennis Allen. Pro Football Focus credited Taylor with allowing just 3 receptions on 9 targets against the Falcons, with a season-high 4 incompletions forced and 3 pass breakups. One teammate who has been watching Taylor closely is Bradley Roby. The ninth-year pro has seen a lot of talented players come up during his 129-game career, and Taylor got on his radar quickly.
“I’m proud of him,” Roby said after Sunday’s win. He reflected on the rookie’s experience in training camp, when a preseason injury kept Taylor on the sidelines while Roby ran with the starters. His advice to Taylor at the time was reassurance: “When you get out there, you’ll make plays.”
Taylor has broken up 10 passes in 10 games this season but he’s still searching for his first career interception. What looked like a sure thing on Sunday got taken away from him after the officials went over the instant replay tape with a fine-toothed comb, ruling that even though Taylor had both hands on an intercepted pass he wasn’t holding it tightly enough to warrant possession of the catch. Ah, well, nevertheless.
It’ll be important that the Saints keep finding ways to get Taylor on the field once the secondary is back up to full strength. Marshon Lattimore has missed most of the season with rib and kidney injuries. Taylor hasn’t been cross-trained in the slot, but Roby has, so it’s possible the Saints could start Lattimore on one side and Taylor on the other with Roby covering the slot. That leaves Paulson Adebo as the odd man out, but he’s playing such up-and-down football that a reduced role might be what’s best for him.
But, hey, we’re putting the cart before the horse here. The Saints won’t have to tackle this problem until Lattimore is ready to return to the lineup. And he’s running out of time with just three games left on the regular season schedule, so stay tuned. In the meantime, Taylor is giving fans plenty to cheer for.
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