Saints Secondary A Major Strength That Could Be Even Better During Training Camp

The Saints cornerback room is one of the strongest positions on the roster, and training camp could make them even stronger.

Sep 18, 2023; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore (23) signals a turnover by Carolina Panthers in the second quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports / Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Training camp practices get underway on Wednesday morning for the Saints, as they open up shop at UC-Irvine in California. New Orleans will be there through the Aug. 18 preseason game against the 49ers, and then will return home to practice in front of fans a couple of times before their finale against the Titans in the Superdome.

We're nearing the end of our training camp series and looking at the Saints defense, focusing our attention on the cornerback position. New Orleans had three players finish in the Top-10 of the NFL last season in the pass defense department, and they gave up 207.3 yards/game in the air, which was also a Top-10 finish.

Saints Offense Position Previews: Quarterback | Running Back | Wide Receiver | Tight End | Interior Offensive Line | Offensive Tackle

Saints Defense Position Previews: Defensive End | Defensive Tackle | Linebacker

Saints Training Camp Position Preview - Cornerback

Dec 3, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints cornerback Paulson Adebo (29) blocks the pass attempt to Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) during the second half at the Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports / Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Depth Chart: Marshon Lattimore, Paulson Adebo, Alontae Taylor, Kool-Aid McKinstry, Shemar Jean-Charles, Rezjohn Wright, Mac McCain, Rico Payton

Biggest Storyline: Will Marshon Lattimore Return to Form?

When New Orleans mended fences with Marshon Lattimore, it reinforced the potential for the defense. He's not the only one that will help dictate success for the team this season, but is one major component of a secondary that is on the uptick.

Lattimore is motivated this season to prove that he's still an elite corner and show it to those who stopped talking about him. When he's on his game, he can take away half of the field with how he plays and also can shut down the league's best receivers. The Saints need Lattimore at his best this season, and he seems like he's ready to prove himself after two very unfortunate exits in the past two years.

Biggest Camp Battle: The Slot

Alontae Taylor has starting slot duties as of right now, but will face competition at the spot between Kool-Aid McKinstry and Ugo Amadi. Amadi stepped in last year when Taylor was benched, but one thing to appreciate about Taylor was the fact that he was able to bounce back and respond to it. McKinstry is going to be learning the position similar to what Taylor did last year, so there could be some bumps and bruises with that transition like what Taylor experienced.

One of the things Joe Woods said during minicamp is that he didn't do Alontae Taylor any favors last year and that he could have coached him better. What he saw in the early process was positive, and this is a spot that obviously has different coverage and run defending assignments. With the amount of snaps the Saints play in nickel, it's another one of the spots they have to get right.

Wild Card: Kool-Aid McKinstry

We've yet to see rookie Kool-Aid McKinstry working in team drills, but that should change when the Saints hit the field for training camp. It was encouraging to see him get into individual drills, and we'll likely see him get eased into things during the early process. One of the many things to appreciate about McKinstry's game is the fact he's a true technician and student of the game. He focuses on doing things the right way and will learn a lot under Joe Woods and Marcus Robertson, but he already has a good base coming from Nick Saban.

McKinstry is expected to see significant snaps this season and will be counted on to make plays. He also doubles as a potential option in the return game. His potential is strong and we're really interested in seeing what he does out on the field. New Orleans has Paulson Adebo in a contract year and Lattimore's future isn't certain beyond this season, so it's really going to be big for McKinstry to learn, grow and develop quickly.

Early Roster Projection

Four spots will be claimed by Lattimore, Adebo, Taylor and McKinstry, but I'd throw in one more to the mix due to special teams and give that to Shemar Jean-Charles. I'm not directly saying he's the new Isaac Yiadom, but he has the best outlook to be that right now. He appeared in three games last year after being added late, spending the first part of his year with the 49ers. If any of the other corners can make something of the competition, then they most likely have to unseat him.

If things come together like they're supposed to, then the Saints secondary should be a formidable unit and continue to solidify a lot for New Orleans. It's been quite some time since the dark days at cornerback for the team, but it's been quite refreshing for the past several years. This is one of the best units the Saints have had on paper in years.