The New Orleans Saints secondary has looked different by the day, and it’ll have a new player covering the slot for the first time since 2020. C.J. Gardner-Johnson’s trade to the Philadelphia Eagles has spurred plenty of conversation surrounding the value of a slot corner and the ease of replacing one in coverage. While the monetary value is certainly debatable, the translatable skill set is a bit unique. It leaves a few question marks along the secondary and how the various pieces will fit.
It may seem as easy as sticking the next-best cornerback or safety in Gardner-Johnson’s role, but the personnel replacement isn’t that obvious. Sure, Tyrann Mathieu has played in the slot and could easily fill the vacancy, but then who is the other starting safety opposite Marcus Maye? The team has been running a decent amount of base defense with three linebacker sets, but that’d be a disservice to the secondary players to see less playing time. Let’s dig deeper: