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It's no secret that the New Orleans Saints' 2023 draft class hasn't passed the test of time; three of their seven picks are no longer on the team between Isaiah Foskey, Jake Haener, and A.T. Perry, and a fourth won't be playing in 2026 after Nick Saldiveri was shut down with a knee injury he suffered last summer. First-round defensive tackle Bryan Bresee is the class's lone saving grace, but he hasn't locked in a long-term contract extension, either.
So who should the Saints have drafted instead? Here's the take from Ryan Wilson for CBS Sports, who has the Saints passing on Bresee in favor of cornerback Joey Porter Jr. with the No. 29 pick:
Porter was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers at No. 32 overall, so it isn't a stretch to say he should have been the pick instead of Bresee. Because he was the first pick of Round 2 (the Miami Dolphins forfeited their first-round pick in 2023), he doesn't have a fifth-year option for 2027. While he only has three interceptions in three years Porter has racked up 31 passes defensed; that's seventh-most out of 22 cornerbacks who have played in 47 or more games. He's a playmaker.
Let's turn the clock back to 2023. The Saints had Paulson Adebo starting at one spot, knowing his contract year was coming up in 2024. Alontae Taylor was a second-year pro who had taken point in the competition to start in the slot. Marshon Lattimore was in decline at the opposing corner spot. With all three of those guys moving on in subsequent years (Lattimore was traded in 2024, Adebo left as a free agent in 2025, and Taylor followed him out the door in 2026), having Porter next to Kool-Aid McKinstry could make for a very dynamic duo. The way things stand now, the Saints are asking a lot of fourth-round pick Quincy Riley. Their alternatives are a veteran backup in Isaac Yiadom or a former starter coming off a major injury in Martin Emerson Jr. The Saints' defensive line hasn't been very effective with or without Bresee, so you could certainly argue that another corner like Porter may have been a better pick.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Saints select cornerback Joey Porter Jr. in 2023 NFL re-draft
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So who should the Saints have drafted instead? Here's the take from Ryan Wilson for CBS Sports, who has the Saints passing on Bresee in favor of cornerback Joey Porter Jr. with the No. 29 pick:
Porter was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers at No. 32 overall, so it isn't a stretch to say he should have been the pick instead of Bresee. Because he was the first pick of Round 2 (the Miami Dolphins forfeited their first-round pick in 2023), he doesn't have a fifth-year option for 2027. While he only has three interceptions in three years Porter has racked up 31 passes defensed; that's seventh-most out of 22 cornerbacks who have played in 47 or more games. He's a playmaker.
Let's turn the clock back to 2023. The Saints had Paulson Adebo starting at one spot, knowing his contract year was coming up in 2024. Alontae Taylor was a second-year pro who had taken point in the competition to start in the slot. Marshon Lattimore was in decline at the opposing corner spot. With all three of those guys moving on in subsequent years (Lattimore was traded in 2024, Adebo left as a free agent in 2025, and Taylor followed him out the door in 2026), having Porter next to Kool-Aid McKinstry could make for a very dynamic duo. The way things stand now, the Saints are asking a lot of fourth-round pick Quincy Riley. Their alternatives are a veteran backup in Isaac Yiadom or a former starter coming off a major injury in Martin Emerson Jr. The Saints' defensive line hasn't been very effective with or without Bresee, so you could certainly argue that another corner like Porter may have been a better pick.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Saints select cornerback Joey Porter Jr. in 2023 NFL re-draft
Continue reading...
