The New Orleans Saints aren't a team that should be in the business of letting talent walk out the door, but for whatever reason, they don't seem inclined to extend their best cornerback.
Alontae Taylor, who is an impending free agent, received serious trade interest at the deadline, with ESPN reporting that the Indianapolis Colts and Chicago Bears as two teams into Taylor.
The former Tennessee product also reportedly discussed an extension with New Orleans, but for whatever reason, nothing came to fruition. Now, Taylor is predicted to be the best available cornerback on the free agent market in 2026.
Alontae Taylor ranked 11th-best impending free agent by ESPN
According to ESPN's Matt Bowen and Jeremy Fowler, Taylor is the 11th-best impending free agent and top cornerback on the market.
"Taylor gets the edge as the top corner based on teams consulted for this exercise. He has good size (6 feet, 199 pounds) with the flexibility to play inside and out," wrote Fowler.
"The Saints and Taylor once discussed an extension, but a deal never happened, which made him a trade candidate at last week's deadline. The Bears and Colts showed interest. As a reference point, the top 2025 free agent corners earned about $18 million per year on new deals."
It feels like it would be in the Saints' best interest to retain their best player in the secondary, whether it be via extension or franchise tag.
But if they don't, Taylor will garner some serious attention in the free agent market as the best cornerback in free agency.
In four seasons in New Orleans, the 49th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft has racked up three interceptions, 37 pass breakups, and six sacks.
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