Saints Make Another Appearance on NFL Network Top-100

Another Saints star makes an appearance on the annual NFL Network top-100 players from 2022.

The NFL Network continued their countdown of the top-100 players from 2022 on Tuesday with the release of numbers 90-81. This is the 13th consecutive year that the NFL Network has done such a poll, which is supposedly determined by votes from active players.

A new group of 10 players on the countdown will be revealed by the network every week day until August 3.

Saints RB Jamaal Williams was the first New Orleans player to make this year’s list, even though he played with the Detroit Lions last season. Williams came in at Number 95. Another New Orleans player, along with a former Saint, appeared in yesterday's countdown. 

New Orleans Saints CB Marshon Lattimore surprisingly made the cut, coming in at Number 89. Former Saints LT Terron Armstead, who played with the Miami Dolphins last year, also made the list at Number 83.

This was not Lattimore's first appearance on the NFL Network top-100. He's been one of the league's best cornerbacks since his arrival as Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2017. What made this year’s inclusion somewhat surprising is the fact that Lattimore missed over half of 2022 with injuries. 

Lattimore, 27, missed 10 games with a serious abdominal injury last year. He went down with the potentially life-threatening injury in Week 5 and didn't return until Week 17. Over his previous five seasons, Lattimore had missed only eight combined contests.

The Saints defense did better than expected with their lockdown corner sidelined, despite struggling mightily in the first two games without him. After being riddled through the air in losses to Cincinnati and Arizona without Lattimore, the Saints didn't allow a 100-yard receiver and surrendered an average of just 183 yards passing over the next eight contests.

New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore (23) returns an interception for a touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Lattimore showed some uncharacteristic rust in his Week 17 return at Philadelphia. However, after giving up some plays early, he'd seal the win against the eventual NFL champions by returning a fourth quarter interception for a touchdown. It was one of only seven interceptions that the Saints had on the year, second fewest total in the league, and the team’s only defensive score of the year.

Aside from the game-clinching play against the Eagles, Lattimore showed his importance to the defense despite being limited to seven games. He surrendered 60% completion percentage when targeted and didn't allow a touchdown pass. Opposing receivers managed a total of 228 yards and a paltry 6.5 yards per target against Lattimore's coverage.

With a healthy Lattimore, the Saints have perhaps the league's most talented cornerback room. Alontae Taylor and Paulson Adebo, two rising stars, are joined by veteran Bradley Roby to complement Lattimore. 

Former offensive lineman and current NFL analyst Brian Baldinger is one of many that hold Lattimore in high regard. Baldinger has Lattimore listed at Number 3 among his top corners entering 2023. He had the New Orleans star rated behind only Denver's Patrick Surtain and Sauce Gardner of the Jets with this explanation. 

Lattimore was an integral part of the stellar 2017 draft class that completely turned the Saints around, raising New Orleans from a team stuck at 7-9 for three straight seasons to a perennial contender in the final years of the Sean Payton-Drew Brees era. His competitiveness in man coverage is as good as it gets (SEE: the well-documented rivalry with Mike Evans), yet he's also an excellent tackler, an aspect that separates him from many others at the cornerback position. The 2017 Defensive Rookie of the Year and four-time Pro Bowler has the ability to eliminate top-flight receivers from a game, boasting a 19.2 percent forced incompletion rate since 2021 -- the third-highest mark in the NFL (min. 100 targets), according to PFF. The Saints will lean on him to do that in 2023 -- beginning with Tennessee's DeAndre Hopkins in Week 1 -- in their quest to return to the top of the NFC South.

New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore breaks up a touchdown pass to Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver Mike Evans. Mandatory Credit: Scott Clause/The Daily Advertiser via USA TODAY NETWORK

Marshon Lattimore is coming off an injury-marred season and may not have had his best statistical campaign in 2022. However, his ability to completely nullify an opponent’s best wideout with little help allows New Orleans to be far more aggressive and creative defensively. 

More than just a cover corner, Lattimore is also a very consistent tackler - as Baldinger pointed out. His physical play, along with extremely underrated athleticism, allows him to lock down every style of receiver he faces. He's also very capable in run support, a trait that separates him from most of the other top corners.

Despite being limited to seven games in 2022, Lattimore's elite skill set is still recognized throughout the NFL among current and former players.