The Saints' cornerback should have quite the market.
What if I told you the Saints' defense in the second half of 2025 was up there with the two Super Bowl teams for yards allowed per game? Sure, the pass rush was excellent, headed by Chase Young and Cam Jordan, but the secondary was stellar due to the play of Kool-Aid McKinstry and Alontae Taylor.
Now, Taylor is a free agent, and CBS Sports' Zachary Pereles ranked Taylor as the No. 14 overall pending free agent, but predicted that he will leave to join the Los Angeles Rams.
"No. 14. CB Alontae Taylor: Rams," Pereles said. "Taylor had his best year as a pro in 2025, and the Rams have a clear need at cornerback. Whether they address it in free agency or the draft remains TBD, but in this projection, they nab one of the top free agents available. Other suitors: Saints, Dolphins, Titans."
Spotrac projects Taylor's market value at 3 years to be $33,498,018.
Alex Kay of Bleacher Report isn't convinced after labeling Taylor as one of his five "buyer beware."
"Alontae Taylor has been a fixture within the New Orleans Saints' defensive scheme over the last four seasons, spending the last three as a consistent starting cornerback.
He has logged a hefty 3,747 defensive snaps in that span, getting on the field for a career-high 96 percent of defensive plays in 2025.
While the six-foot, 199-pounder possesses the versatility to line up both on the outside and in the slot, he's prone to gambling in coverage—an issue that occasionally costs his team dearly.
Taylor's coverage skills have regressed in the years since he allowed a meager 48.5 percent completion rate and gave up zero touchdowns as a rookie. Opposing quarterbacks connected on 68.1 percent of throws made against him in 2025, a career-worst mark for the 27-year-old. He gave up a concerning 13 touchdowns over the past two seasons after allowing just four in his first two years.
While the Tennessee product is a decent tackler, a playmaker when his gambles pay off (he's recorded four interceptions and three forced fumbles in the NFL) and hasn't had any notable injury issues since entering the league, he's set to cash in on a deal that Spotrac estimates will pay him over $11 million annually.
That may be far from the type of money top corners like Derek Stingley Jr. and Jaycee Horn take home, but he'll likely net in the upper echelon of slot corner money despite the glaring drawbacks in coverage.
Once you factor in the depth of the defensive back market this year—the Bleacher Report Scouting Department has nine corners and safeties ranked inside the top 50 of their latest free-agency big board—it would be unwise to overpay for Taylor's services."