By Peyton Burkhalter *Special to NewOrleansSaints.com*
Very rarely does a young cornerback duo put the NFL on notice, but that's exactly what has happened with Alontae Taylor and Kool-Aid McKinstry.
Taylor is in his fourth year and McKinstry is only in his second, but they already play like seasoned veterans: they're tackling machines, they read quarterbacks and route concepts in an instant, and they can lock down a team's No. 1 option no matter where that receiver lines up. Both of them are having stellar seasons for New Orleans, and they keep proving time and time again why the Saints' secondary are an up-and-coming unit.
Taylor has been a young cornerstone for some time in New Orleans. After getting selected in the second round (49th overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft out of Tennessee, he was thrown into the fire as a rookie due to injuries in the secondary, but he came out looking like a piece that the Saints could build around.
Prior to this season, Taylor played in 47 games with 37 starts, recorded 209 tackles (155 solo), five sacks, two interceptions, 14 stops for loss, three forced fumbles and 41 passes defended. Even with a brand new coaching staff being introduced this season, they noticed Taylor's talent right away.
"From the first practice at camp, I could tell that Alontae is a very special player," said Saints cornerbacks coach and 25-year coaching veteran Grady Brown. "From the instinctual plays that he makes, which can't be taught, to how he absorbs things so quickly from practice or walkthroughs, you can just tell how bright he is and how much he loves the game. We would not be the same unit without him in the mix."
In week one against the Arizona Cardinals, Taylor made an immediate impact. He was battling back from a groin injury, but still put up two tackles (one solo) and a huge, momentum-turning sack on third down late in the fourth quarter to give the Black and Gold a chance to tie the game up. It was also Taylor's sixth career quarterback takedown, which tied him for first with Alex Molden for the most sacks by a defensive back in Saints history.
"The way we studied and prepared all week long was how I was able to get Kyler [Murray]," said the former Tennessee standout. "It was a blitz on our end and we were showing it. I just was able to beat him to his spot, and we knew what his spots were that he liked because we prepared for his quickness and agility all week. Very proud that our gameplan and preparation led to something big."
Fast forward to week 14 where the Saints faced Tampa Bay at Raymond James Stadium, where the rain was relentless. The defensive unit really shined as they held Tampa Bay to 20 points, three-for-13 on third down, two-for-seven on fourth down and made an interception by none other than Taylor himself. That pick off of Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield tied his career-high in interceptions in a single season (2).
"Coach (Brandon) Staley made a really good call," said Taylor. "We saw the formation, and playmakers are going to make plays and I just jumped the route, knew what it was, saw it and just went for it."
McKinstry was also vital to the Saints victory over the Bucs, totaling seven tackles (six solo) and one pass breakup on fourth down in the fourth quarter where he hit Tampa Bay receiver Chris Godwin out of bounds while catching a pass, making it incomplete. That turnover on downs led to a Tyler Shough 13-yard touchdown run to win the game for New Orleans.
"Oh, my goodness, I went up to him and told him, 'Man, I don't think you realize how big a play that was,'" said Taylor about McKinstry. "Some guys in that situation would be like, 'Oh man, he caught the ball, first down,' but he came up, finished him to the ground and gave our offense the ball in a really good situation, and those guys got to do something with that.
"So, I just told him, 'Bro, that play was huge, to me that's just as big as an interception,' and I think he started to realize that it was a big play. Kool-Aid has been making plays all year long, so I'm super-excited for him, and his growth is going into a good place."
McKinstry has a lot of similarities to Taylor; learned his craft at an elite SEC program, picked in the second round of their perspective drafts by New Orleans, thrust into the lineup earlier than expected and had a breakout season in year two.
He has set new career-highs in every statistical category, which includes tackles (62), interceptions (3), pass breakups (10) and stops for loss (3). Staley is confident McKinstry can keep building on the season he is putting together with three games left.
"Kool-Aid has been so awesome to teach and to watch play this year," said Staley. "I think you are seeing a version of him that is hungry. Hungry to take on the best receivers in the league and hungry to be the best version of himself that he can possibly be.
"As long as that hunger and drive stay intact with him, the sky is the limit for this season and beyond. I've been really impressed with him all year long."
His three interceptions and ten pass breakups lead the team in both categories this season at just 23 years old. Last season, McKinstry was thrown into the lineup when the Saints traded CB Marshon Lattimore to Washington in the middle of the season, with Lattimore previously injured. The Birmingham, Ala. native thinks that being relied upon so early made him a better player for his second season as a pro.
"Oh, absolutely, last season made me so much better," said McKinstry. "When you are put under pressure like that early on, it can only benefit you in the long run. My rookie year showed me how fast the game is, how precise you have to be on every single snap and just how prepared you have to be in general.
"Coming into this year, I was very confident that I could use all of the skills I learned in my rookie season and keep refining them to have a great season."
Taylor and McKinstry are not just filling roles in the secondary, they are setting the standard for what great cornerback play can look like. Their blend of instincts, preparation and competitive fire has already changed what opposing offenses can expect when they line up against the Black and Gold.
With Taylor's versatility and toughness on one side and McKinstry's ball skills and fearlessness on the other, the Saints have a tandem that can grow together for years to come. If this is what they look like in years two and four, it's easy to see why coaches, teammates and quarterbacks around the league all agree: throwing at New Orleans' corners is only going to get harder from here.
