March 7, 2026, 4:55 a.m. CT
In the second round of the 2022 NFL draft, the New Orleans Saints selected Tennessee Volunteers defensive back Alontae Taylor with the 49th overall selection. The 11th defensive back and eighth cornerback chosen, Taylor was a somewhat surprise pick. At Tennessee, he had four interceptions, 15 passes broken up, five tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, and scored two defensive touchdowns.
Taylor contributed immediately for the Saints as a rookie. Injuries to starting corners Marshon Lattimore and Paulson Adebo thrust him into a prominent role. He’d respond with 11 pass breakups, giving up only 48.5% completion percentage when targeted. In 2023 and 2024, Taylor was a hybrid corner/safety and valuable chess piece for the defense. Over those two years, he had two interceptions with 30 passes broken up, five sacks, three forced fumbles, and 13 tackles for loss among 164 total stops. Entering a contract year in 2025, Taylor would continue to be a matchup chess piece in the new defense under new defensive coordinator Brandon Staley.
Alontae Taylor Year in ReviewPosition: CornerbackAge: 27Height: 6-feetWeight: 199 poundsNFL experience: 4 years (with Saints)2025 season: 17 games (16 starts)
Officially listed as a cornerback, Taylor has always been most effective when moved around the formation to create matchup advantages. Able to play the slot, outside corner, in the box, or even deep safety, Taylor is one of the most versatile defensive backs in the league. This would play out again for the Saints in his fourth season.
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Taylor played 1,058 defensive snaps in 2025. That was second to only Kool-Aid McKinstry (1,075) in the secondary and trailed only McKinstry, Kelvin Banks Jr. (1,066), and Demario Davis (1,081) on the entire team. Taylor tied a career-best with two interceptions this past season. He broke up 11 passes in the process, but allowed a career-worst 68% completion percentage in man coverage. His 83 total tackles trailed only Davis on the team, which included two sacks and tying a career-high with seven stops for loss.
Alontae Taylor was a key contributor on a Saints defense that rose to ninth in total yardage, fourth against the pass, and showed strong improvements against the run. He teamed with McKinstry and rookie Quincy Riley to make a formidable cornerback trio, with his versatility helping to make up for the season-ending loss of safety Julian Blackmon. Like with the previous regime, Brandon Staley often moved Taylor around the defensive formation to take advantage of mismatches.
Taylor now enters free agency for the first time in his career next week. Looking to be paid as a top-tier corner, Taylor is expected to be one of the most highly pursued defensive backs on the market. Reports have him getting a contract possibly worth as much as $17 million annually. Those numbers likely put him out of the New Orleans range, but also creates a need in the secondary that must be addressed this offseason.