Marshon Lattimore was considered by many to be the best cornerback prospect in the 2017 NFL Draft class. If there was one team that needed cornerback help in the draft, it was the New Orleans Saints. Needless to say, when they saw Lattimore available, the Saints jumped at the opportunity to select him at No. 11.
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Last season with the Ohio State Buckeyes, Lattimore recorded 41 tackles, four interceptions, a defensive touchdown, and nine defended passes. As is the case with every draft pick, there are concerns about Lattimore’s ability to cover top NFL wide receivers. That being said, New Orleans’ defense got a lot better with this pick.
New Orleans has been extremely busy this offseason. Adrian Peterson was signed earlier in the week and they made other moves throughout the offseason that should excite the Saints’ fan base.
According to an AFC front office member, Lattimore is going to be a very good cornerback, very quickly.
“I’ve studied the top cornerbacks coming out and he’s the best I’ve seen. He’s so athletic that he can just post up under the receiver’s chin and shadow him all over the field. And he’s tough, too. He’ll be one of the top cornerbacks pretty quickly.”
Expect to see the Saints’ defense take a big leap forward this season with Lattimore in the secondary. There may be growing pains here and there, but Lattimore was a big step in the right direction to getting the Saints back to playoff contention.
Do you think Marshon Lattimore was the right pick for the New Orleans Saints? If not, who do you think they should have selected? Let us know your thoughts in the comment box below!
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