One secret superstar on each NFC South team pic.twitter.com/hXeQHwit4t
— PFF (@PFF) February 1, 2024
When you think of the New Orleans Saints secondary, you think of Marshon Lattimore first. The star cornerback missed the second half of the season. In Lattimore’s absence, Paulson Adebo flourished. Adebo was New Orleans’ top corner in 2023 and had the best season he’s had in the NFL.
Pro Football Focus analyst Thomas Valentine projects Adebo to continue along this trajectory and labeled him the Saints’ secret superstar, writing:
After a down year in 2022, Paulson Adebo responded in 2023 with an excellent season. His 80.5 PFF coverage grade ranked 15th among all cornerbacks in the NFL and only Benjamin St-Juste had more forced incompletions when targets. Adebo fully cemented himself as a lockdown corner.
Adebo also showed up with four interceptions on the season and allowed a completion percentage of just 54.1% — only three other cornerbacks allowed a lower percentage. There aren’t many better cornerbacks than the Saints star.
Having the best season of your career while simultaneously stepping into a bigger role will generate that kind of hype. Adebo wasn’t just Saints’ top corner in 2023, he looked like he was capable of being a top cornerback going forward. If the Saints retain Lattimore, New Orleans could have two number one cornerbacks in their secondary. The ability to say that is a testament of Adebo’s improvements in year 3.
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