Saints Predicted to Land Stud CB From Chiefs to Replace Alontae Taylor

The Saints could dive into free agency to bolster their roster in the best way possible...

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Mason Kinsey (12) receives a pass past New Orleans Saints cornerback Alontae Taylor (1) during the third quarter at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025. | Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The New Orleans Saints are in a much better spot this offseason than they were last offseason.

Last offseason, their cap situation was much worse than it is now. That's not to say they're in a good spot with their money right now, but it's gotten better each year for the last few seasons. The Saints had also lost Derek Carr to retirement early in the offseason, which sent them scrambling for answers.

Fortunately, they struck gold with the addition of Tyler Shough, as he's provided them with a potential franchise option at quarterback. Now they're going to need to make all the right moves to continue their rebuild in the right diection.

But they're facing another potential issue. Star cornerback Alontae Taylor is a free agent, and he's expected to be one of the most coveted free agents on the market this offseason. Considering the Saints don't have too much money to spend, it's hard to imagine they'll be able to retain him this offseason. As a result, they could be forced to pursue his replacement instead of a new deal with him in free agency over the next few weeks.

CBS Sports' Zachary Pereles recently predicted the Saints would replace a potential loss of Taylor by signing cornerback Jaylen Watson away from the Kansas City Chiefs this offseason.

Jaylen Watson is the perfect option to replace Alontae Taylor

Nov 23, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Jaylen Watson (35) celebrates with safety Jaden Hicks (21) after a play against the Indianapolis Colts in the second half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

"The Saints have to be happy with how they and rookie quarterback Tyler Shough closed the 2025 season, giving them a bevy of options going forward," Pereles wrote. "Add to Shough's offense with a running back or pass catcher? Add to the pass rush? Here, they replace outgoing cornerback Alontae Taylor with Jaylen Watson, 27, who isn't quite as versatile but is an upgrade at outside corner."

Watson could be a better boundary cornerback than Taylor, which would help the Saints quite a bit. He's not as versatile as the Saints star, but Watson's ability to play man coverage and zone coverage on the outside is seemingly unmatched in this year's free agency.

The Saints will need to re-sign or replace Taylor before the offseason is over. The best case is likely finding a new deal with their own star. But if they can't, falling back on a very talented player like Watson would be the perfect backup option in New Orleans.