Skip to main content
Saints News Network

Saints CB Quincy Riley: Surprise Starter in 2025 is No. 17 Player in 2026

With a lack of depth at corner, Riley will greatly be counted on, as we rank the Black and Gold’s Top 25 players
Jim Derry|
New Orleans Saints cornerback Quincy Riley started six games in his rookie season and is expected to lockdown a spot in 2026.
New Orleans Saints cornerback Quincy Riley started six games in his rookie season and is expected to lockdown a spot in 2026. | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

In this story:

New Orleans Saints

There have been very few surprises this offseason for the New Orleans Saints, but their lack of seriously addressing the lack of depth in the defensive backfield certainly could be considered an area of concern.

If one were to take a gander at the projected depth chart, there’s really one small addition (free-agent signing Martin Emerson) and one huge, gaping departure (Alontae Taylor leaving for Tennessee).

Enter Quincy Riley, who was mostly an afterthought when he was taken with the 131st overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft – just after safety Malachi Moore of Alabama by the Jets and just ahead of linebacker Ruben Hyppolite of Maryland by the Bears.

Riley played in all 17 games (the first two only on special teams) and started five – Weeks 6 and 7, 10, 14 and 16 – and he was third on the team with 10 passes defensed (behind only Taylor and starter on the other side, Kool-Aid McKinstry).

Interestingly, Moore also was a big surprise, having started 14 of 17 games for Aaron Glenn. Hyppolite started one game and played in only seven.

What will Riley do this season, and why is he No. 17 on the list of Top 25 Saints in 2026? Let’s answer …

Please share your thoughts on our Top 25 Saints Heading Into 2026 by emailing the Saints On SI Publisher and Beat Writer Jim Derry at jim@jimderry.com.

Why is Riley so important?

We already touched on the No. 1 reason, and that’s because he is on a pretty big island. Looking at the current projected depth chart, Isaac Yiadom is behind him, and he has some experience. However, there’s a reason why the 30-year-old has only started 34 games in eight seasons and only six the past two.

Other than that, there’s Emerson and seventh-round pick TJ Hall from Iowa.

The good news is that Riley had some of his better games toward the end of his rookie season, and he certainly progresses after being forced into action in early October vs. New England. He had more than half of his 35 tackles over his final six games of the season, and his average snap count was way up over that stretch into the 50s (or about 75 percent of all defensive snaps).

His confidence also seemed to grow as the season went along, enough for the team to surprisingly not draft a corner until Hall and no one at all in the defensive backfield until safety Lorenzo Styles in the fifth round.

But again, there’s no question for this position to not suffer a major setback, Riley will have to stay healthy AND perform as he did in the latter quarter of the 2025 season.

Riley’s strengths and weaknesses

Tale a look at Riley’s numbers from the NFL Combine in 2025, and the description from NFL.com is “good backup with the potential to develop into a starter,” which he obviously blew past in less than half of a season. His rank of production was 10th among corners entering the draft, and he was 16th in athleticism.

His instinctive ball skills took over, which many NFL teams overlooked from his 15 interceptions at Middle Tennessee and his three seasons at Louisville. He also has seemed to easily adapt to defensive coordinator Brandon Staley’s scheme, which has allowed him to play so much so soon.

He’s fast at 4.48 in the 40, but it’s his recovery speed that seems to be among some of the better corners. His overall grade via PFF was slightly below average at 62nd of 114, but part of that is because he only started six games.

One of his weaknesses is something he can only get better in part. He his 5-11 and under 200 pounds, so he sometimes can be “outmuscled” by stronger wide receivers. (Maybe he shouldn’t be lined up against Ja’Marr Chase or Justin Jefferson this season.)

Some experts also say he has had tackling issues and doesn’t always take the best angles, but that certainly can improve with experience.

Background

Riley was born May 26, 2001 (25 years old) in Columbia, SC. He played six collegiate football seasons – three at Middle Tennessee (redshirt and COVID season) and three at Louisville.

He played football, basketball and ran track at AC Flora High School in Columbia. Riley was rated a three-star athlete by 247 Sports and the No. 16 recruit in South Carolina. He was his region’s Special Teams Player of the Year and was All-State as a cornerback and wide receiver.

He also won the Class 4A state 100- and 200-meter races and was named the South Carolina Boys 4A Track Player of the Year in 2019.

The rest of the Top 25 so far …

25, RET Barion Brown, June 2

24, DE Bryan Bresee, June 3

23, DT Davon Godchaux, June 4

22, S Jonas Sanker, June 5

21, RB Alvin Kamara, June 6

20, P Ryan Wright, June 7

19, LB Pete Werner, June 8

18, K Charlie Smyth, June 9

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations

Published
Jim Derry
JIM DERRY

Jim Derry is the Publisher / Beat Writer for New Orleans Saints On SI and has hosted the Dattitude Podcast since September 2021. He is a native New Orleanian and previously worked for The Times-Picayune for 35 years, working several jobs in the news room, including covering the Saints, the NFL and sports betting. Jim also is a play-by-play broadcaster for Varsity Sports Now Louisiana, calling local high school and college games. Email: jim@jimderry.com. X: @JimDerryJr.

Share on XFollow jimderryjr
Home/Saints News