Grading the Alontae Taylor Pick

Alontae Taylor may not pass the popularity test, but he's certainly a Saints type of player that's going to have some upside potential.

Author:
John Hendrix
Publish date:
Apr 29, 2022 11:28 PM EDT

The Saints used their 49th overall pick to take defensive back Alontae Taylor from the Tennessee Volunteers. The secondary is always a position you can get more depth at, and here's some further thoughts on the pick.

USATSI_17615871_168388561_lowres — Feb 2, 2022; Mobile, AL, USA; American squad defensive back Alontae Taylor of Tennessee (6) and American squad fullback Connor Heyward of Michigan State (30) during American team practice for the 2022 Senior Bowl at Hancock Whitney Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports

Grading the Alontae Taylor Pick

The vision is unclear for Taylor, but also there's a lot of intrigue regarding him. He played quarterback in high school, and was converted from being a wide receiver to defensive back. He received high praise from ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. and Louis Riddick regarding his potential, while Reese's Senior Bowl Executive Director Jim Nagy said they he's "an ass kicker as a gunner" and has "difference-maker ability as a perimeter corps teams player" that excels in run defense.

The Saints certainly had a good bunch of talent at their disposal when they picked, but Jaquan Brisker going off the board the pick before was definitely hard to see. While that doesn't mean the team still can't pursue a safety (like Tyrann Mathieu in free agency), Taylor could evolve into a hybrid type of player that the team uses and develops. The energy is all there from him, and he could easily be a press coverage guy, used as a nickel corner, or be molded into a safety.

Perhaps the team pulled the trigger a little earlier than they should have, given that he was projected as a 3rd Rounder, but the amount of meetings with the Saints and insight we got certainly means there's a good bit of upside here. This is going to be a pick that we'll see how things play out and have to re-visit later.

Draft Grade: C+