Tag: Paulson Adebo

Field Yates’ new mock draft makes an unconventional pick for the Saints

Field Yates’ new mock draft makes an unconventional pick for the Saints. Does Georgia prospect Kamari Lassiter have what they look for at cornerback?

We’re finally entering the fun part of draft season: with only weeks remaining before the 2024 NFL draft kicks off, analysts like ESPN’s Field Yates are expanding their mock drafts to explore the first two rounds of picks (if not more). The real drama on draft day picks up after the obvious selections are made early on. And for a team with as many needs as the New Orleans Saints, it’s important to know what their options may be in the second round.

And with that in mind, we’re spending more time today talking about Yates’ pick for the Saints at No. 45 overall rather than the 14th selection (Penn State left tackle Olu Fashanu, who has been a popular choice for New Orleans in the first round). Yates has the Saints picking Georgia Bulldogs cornerback Kamari Lassiter after addressing their bigger need at left tackle early on.

“The Saints restructured Marshon Lattimore’s contract late last season, fueling speculation that he could be a trade candidate this offseason,” Yates wrote. “Lassiter would add depth there if such a move happened. He’s sudden, confident and capable in man coverage.”

Lassiter weighs in at 5-foot-11 and 186 pounds, just meeting the Saints’ thresholds at the position, but his incomplete athletic testing makes it tough to say whether they would consider drafting him. His poor performance in the 40-yard dash on a fast track at Georgia’s pro day doesn’t help his case.

Yates reported that Lassiter timed the 40-yard dash between 4.50 and 4.51 seconds at Georgia’s pro day, but The Athletic’s Dane Brugler reports that he was timed much lower, between 4.61 and 4.63 seconds. NFLDraftScout.com, which has been working in partnership with the Pro Football Hall of Fame while tracking pro day results for decades, had him at 4.65. Yates is still high on Lassiter but other media draft analysts like NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah no longer rank him among their top 50 prospects. Before his pro day, Lassiter was Jeremiah’s 36th-best prospect.

Dubious pro day results aside, Lassiter doesn’t have the production of other players going early in the draft, or similar defensive backs the Saints have drafted in recent years. He only intercepted one pass in college while recording more than 1,000 snaps in coverage. Depending on where you look, in his three-year career he broke up either 9 passes (according to Pro Football Focus charting), 14 passes (College Sports Reference as well as ESPN), or 15 passes (Georgia’s team website). Marshon Lattimore, for comparison, had 4 interceptions and 11 passes defensed in just 357 coverage snaps at Ohio State.

The Saints could very well draft a cornerback regardless of their plans for Lattimore; Paulson Adebo is entering a contract year and Alontae Taylor was a liability in the slot. Lassiter’s future may lie in that same role guarding the slot, given his subpar size, and his controlled aggression making plays upfield. Lassiter only missed 8 tackles on nearly 1,700 defensive snaps in college, per PFF, and he was credited with making 8.5 tackles for loss the last two years. Getting him closer to the line of scrimmage where he can make plays in traffic and not worry about running in stride with faster receivers downfield could let him play to his strengths. If Lattimore is traded this offseason, Taylor makes the most sense as his immediate replacement, and the Saints would need someone else to man the slot.

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Bleacher Report’s mock draft has a disastrous pick for the Saints

The Saints made a disastrous pick in Bleacher Report’s new mock draft, bypassing all of their biggest needs. It’s a bad move even if he’s a great player:

It’s finally here: April brings us to the final stretch before the 2024 NFL draft, and mock drafts are picking up. Some of them are keying in on the New Orleans Saints’ top team needs and draft-day priorities. Others are exploring different scenarios with picks that may seem like a luxury, at best, or a crippling mistake, at worst.

This projection from Bleacher Report’s scouting department falls closer to the lower end of the spectrum. B/R/ has the New Orleans Saints bypassing their worst vulnerabilities along the offensive line, defensive end, and at the skills positions to splurge on a new cornerback. Alabama star Terrion Arnold is a great player, but he wouldn’t solve many of the Saints’ biggest problems. We’ll let B/R’s team explain why they went with this pick.

“Arnold is a versatile cornerback with a high football IQ to play in multiple schemes. When Lattimore went on injured reserve in the middle of the season, it showed the lack of depth in the Saints’ cornerback room,” wrote B/R scout Cory Giddings, referring to games in which the Saints allowed 168, 205, 99, and 133 passing yards without Lattimore. He added, “Arnold would also be in line to become CB1 before his rookie contract expires.”

The Los Angeles Rams got the better of New Orleans while throwing for 325 yards, but a top-10 passing offense is going to beat a top-10 passing defense almost every time. The Saints beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons in blowout victories to close out the season in which they were forced to throw more often, accumulating 292 and 311 passing yards but scoring just 13 and 17 points, respectively. New Orleans’ secondary intercepted the Bucs and Falcons twice in each of those games.

A big part of the Saints’ thinking in making Lattimore available for trade was how well their secondary performed without him. Obviously the situation is different now; rumors suggest Lattimore is likely to return for 2024, and the poor trade market for veteran corners means the Saints would be moving him at a loss. They’re a better team with him on the roster, so it doesn’t make sense to trade him or draft his replacement in the first round.

Some players who have been popular picks for the Saints didn’t make it to the 14th overall pick. Penn State left tackle Olu Fashanu was snapped up one spot ahead, by the Las Vegas Raiders, with B/R arguing he should learn a new position at right tackle. Alabama right tackle JC Latham, Arnold’s college teammate, was taken a few spots earlier after the Los Angeles Chargers traded out of the top-10.

But others who would make more sense for New Orleans than Arnold were still on the board: guys like Washington left tackle Troy Fautanu (who went to the Seattle Seahawks at No. 16) and Oregon State right tackle Taliese Fuaga (to the Cincinnati Bengals at No. 18). To say nothing of UCLA pass rusher Laiatu Latu, who the Saints have shown plenty of interest in during the pre-draft process.

This isn’t a knock on Arnold. He’s going to be a great pro for some team. If the Saints can make more moves ahead of the draft to reinforce their offensive line with competition for James Hurst at left guard and a better backup plan for Ryan Ramczyk at right tackle, then they could justify the luxury of investing in a high-end cornerback. Paulson Adebo will be a free agent in 2025 and it’s still possible a team makes a strong trade offer for Lattimore later this summer. They should add a corner at some point after losing Isaac Yiadom, Lattimore’s top backup, to the San Francisco 49ers in free agency. But the way things stand right now, targeting Arnold in the first round is a luxury they can’t afford.

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Saints lose cornerback Isaac Yiadom to the 49ers

This is a big hit. The Saints are losing free agent cornerback Isaac Yiadom to the 49ers after his impressive year coming in off the bench:

The New Orleans Saints are losing key depth in free agency, particularly on defense. Cornerback Isaac Yiadom has agreed to terms on a one-year deal with the San Francisco 49ers, per his agent AJ Vaynerchuk, after also being heavily pursued by the Washington Commanders.

Yiadom played a lot of valuable snaps for the Saints last year in relief of starting corners Marshon Lattimore and Paulson Adebo when they missed time with injuries; he was credited with 14 pass breakups, which were hard for other teams around the league to ignore. Good on him for cashing in.

But this is a problem for New Orleans. If the team had planned on trading Lattimore this offseason then Yiadom would have been next in line for a heavier workload. Even if Lattimore is in the plans (and he should be), Yiadom was a competent backup who they could lean on if needed. They’ll need to find a good replacement.

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Paulson Adebo ranked in PFF top 101 players from the 2023 season

After his breakout season in 2023, Paulson Adebo found himself on PFF’s top 101 players list. He’s an important piece moving forwards:

Paulson Adebo’s breakout season has been heavily respected by Pro Football Focus. He has been labeled as the Saints most improved player and secret superstar. Adebo turned into a number one cornerback and elevated his play after his first two seasons.

In his end of season rankings, PFF analyst Sam Monson ranked Adebo as the 90th best player of 2023, writing:

Adebo had occasionally flashed impact ability over his first two years in the league, but this season he did it far more consistently. And for a month in the middle of the year, he was the best cornerback in football. Adebo finished with 11 pass breakups and four picks, allowing a 69.9 passer rating when targeted.

The biggest transformation in Adebo’s game was the ability to get his hands on passes. He reached double-digit passes defensed for the first time in his career (though PFF credited him with 11, ESPN and Pro Football Reference both had him with 18 of them), while also hitting a career-high in interceptions. He also excelled in limiting yards after catch. He was tasked with defending the best receiver on the opposing team. Just as he was consistently targeted, Adebo consistently delivered.

2023 was the season where the third year corner put it all together. He stepped up in Marshon Lattimore’s absence to become not only the lead corner for New Orleans, but a true number-one corner. Lattimore will step back into his lead role if he returns to New Orleans next season, and Adebo cements the Saints secondary as a No Fly Zone.

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Little potential for compensatory draft picks in the Saints’ 2025 forecast

Experts see little potential for compensatory draft picks in the Saints’ 2025 forecast. Mickey Loomis must make the most of his choices in 2024:

It’s been good to see the New Orleans Saints changing their valuation of compensatory draft picks in recent years. Acquiring extra draft picks in exchange for losing free agents to other teams has worked out for them. Just look at their past history:

  • 2021: Comp picks in rounds three (Nos. 98 and 105) and six (218)
  • 2022: Comp picks in rounds three (Nos. 98 and 101)
  • 2023: Comp pick in round seven (No. 257)

And while the Saints expect to continue that trend in 2024 (they’re projected to receive three extra picks in the fifth round, per Over The Cap) the forecast for 2025 isn’t looking very favorable. Remember, teams are awarded comp picks in the following year’s draft based off the current year’s free agency results. And New Orleans simply lacks many players who are seen as desirable qualifiers.

OTC’s Nick Korte explains:

The Saints remain devoted to keeping core players on their roster, no matter how much they amortize the cap dollars associated with their contracts to do so. This regularly leaves them with few CFA worthy players hitting free agency. But on the other hand, filling up on incumbent players also tends to make them avoid free agency. In the past couple of seasons this has generated some comp picks for them, but typically they do not care much about them, and this could be one of those seasons where they revert to their mean.

Many of the Saints’ top players expected to become available will not qualify for the comp picks formula: guys like Jameis Winston, Michael Thomas, and Andrus Peat. It’s possible that backups on defense earn better opportunities and higher salaries elsewhere, but any signings the Saints make could balance out the losses (and possible comp picks) for defensive tackle Malcolm Roach, linebacker Zack Baun, or cornerback Isaac Yiadom.

So that means the Saints must make the most of their comp picks while they have them. And fans should expect them to be traded. The Saints have traded every comp pick they’ve received in the last three years:

  • Both third-round comp picks in 2021 were packaged in a trade to move up and pick cornerback Paulson Adebo
  • The seventh-round comp pick in 2021 was traded in a move up for offensive tackle Landon Young
  • Both third-round comp picks in 2022 were traded; No. 98 was used to move up for wide receiver Chris Olave, while No. 101 was traded in the package of picks used to get another first rounder, which became left tackle Trevor Penning
  • And the seventh-round comp pick in 2023 was packaged with tight end Adam Trautman in a trade up, targeting wide receiver A.T. Perry

So this tells us that Saints general manager Mickey Loomis tends to view comp picks as trade ammunition more than anything else. He’s known as an aggressive wheeler-and-dealer on draft day, and recent history lays out his go-to strategy very clearly. We’ll see if the trend continues in 2024, but the Saints may not have the promise of extra picks to lean on in 2025, depending on how free agency plays out this March.

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Bleacher Report has two more bad trade ideas for the Saints

Bleacher Report has two more bad trade ideas for the New Orleans Saints, suggesting they give up on key playmakers to save a little money:

It’s bad enough that Bleacher Report suggested the New Orleans Saints trade Alvin Kamara without correctly reporting the mechanisms that would let it happen — they’ve since circled back and put even more bad trade ideas on the table, arguing the Saints should trade away two key playmakers in order to save a little money.

What’s funny is these are marketed as “Dream Trade Scenarios” for the Saints. We’re guessing that leadership in New Orleans isn’t eager to part ways with Paulson Adebo and Taysom Hill, but here’s Kristopher Knox making the case anyway:

PFF recognizes Paulson Adebo as Saints’ secret superstar of the 2023 season

PFF recognizes Paulson Adebo as Saints’ secret superstar of the 2023 season

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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Paulson Adebo named Saints’ most improved player, according to PFF

After improving in every major statistical category, Paulson Adebo was labeled the Saints’ most improved player by PFF.

New Orleans Saints cornerback Paulson Adebo continues to receive praise for his career year. Pro Football Focus labeled Adebo the Saints’ most improved player It’s hard to argue with the tag. In his third year, the cornerback improved in all major categories. Most impressively, he set career highs in interceptions and pass deflections. He did it while having to step into a bigger role.

Adebo bounced back from a sophomore slump in 2022 that put him into a battle for his starting job. The third year player won the battle and never looked back. He took on the challenge of being the Saints lead cornerback and passed with flying colors. Adebo is a physical corner, so penalties will naturally come with his play style. He did a much better job playing with an edge as opposed to being overaggressive. Hiring aa new position coach last offseason, Marcus Robertson, proved good for him.

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2023 Saints season awards: Team MVP, Rookie of the Year, and more

It wasn’t all bad for the Saints in 2023. Some individual performances deserve recognition. Here are our picks for Team MVP, Rookie of the Year, and more

It wasn’t all bad for the New Orleans Saints in 2023. Some individual performances deserve recognition for doing their part to help the team end the year with a winning record.

Here are our picks for the Saints’ team awards:

  • Most Valuable Player
  • Rookie of the Year
  • Breakout Player of the Year
  • Most-Improved Player
  • Comeback Player of the Year

8 key takeaways from the Saints’ 2023 season

8 important takeaways from the New Orleans Saints’ 2023 season: What we learned after ending another year short of the playoffs

What did you learn about the New Orleans Saints this year? That’s the question we’re looking to answer in our takeaways from the 2023 season, with each of our staff writers sharing notes and observations after reviewing the campaign.

It wasn’t a successful season. The Saints missed the playoffs for the third year in a row after catching so many breaks. But the show must go on, and the team is already preparing for 2024. One last look back might be helpful in identifying what comes next. Here are our thoughts: