Saints stay put at No. 49, select Tennessee DB Alontae Taylor

Here’s a surprise: the New Orleans Saints didn’t move out of the No. 49 overall pick in the second round of the 2022 NFL draft, which isn’t surprising, but they did use that pick on Tennessee Volunteers cornerback Alontae Taylor. Taylor was the 112th-ranked prospect on the Athletic’s consensus big board.

It’s kind of a bizarre pick. Taylor primarily played on the outside for Tennessee, with occasional looks at other spots, and he could be converted to safety in the NFL. He fits the Saints’ prototype for the position at 6-foot-even and 199 pounds, with a great Relative Athletic Score at 9.86.

But, come on, man. The Saints had bigger fish to fry than a corner they probably have to teach to play safety. This feels like a panic move after the Chicago Bears took Penn State safety Jaquan Brisker at No. 48. Hopefully Taylor handles the transition to the NFL and maybe a new position.

This is a developing story…

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