ESPN recently ranked the top 10 cornerbacks in the NFL. The list is compiled by polling execs, coaches, and scouts around the league. Unsurprisingly, no Tennessee Titans cornerback made the list, but Alontae Taylor was named as an honorable mention.
The Titans were a disaster at cornerback last season. They traded Roger McCreary and Jarvis Brownlee before the deadline. L’Jarius Sneed was on season-ending IR. That forced the Titans to rely on cornerbacks like Jalyn Armour-Davis and Kaiir Elam. Predictably,
it got ugly.
General manager Mike Borgonzi entered the offseason knowing he had to totally revamp the cornerback room. Sneed was also released from his bloated contract as an injured underperformer. So Borgonzi signed both Taylor and Cor’Dale Flott to lucrative deals in free agency.
Taylor signed a three-year, $58 million contract with the Titans. It was the third-largest total value the Titans gave any free agent. Taylor’s $19.3 million annual average salary was second-most behind just John Franklin-Myers ($21 million).
Of the 10 cornerbacks on ESPN’s list, Trent McDuffie is the only one who switched teams this offseason. Taylor was one of the very few honorable mentions who also switched teams. It strongly indicates the Titans acquired one of the best cornerbacks this summer that was realistically available.
Taylor produced 83 tackles and 11 pass breakups for the New Orleans Saints last season. In four years with the Saints, the former Tennessee Volunteers standout registered 293 tackles, 52 pass breakups, seven sacks, and four interceptions.
Taylor has been versatile enough to defend the boundary and nickel throughout his career. The expectation is that the Titans paid him lucratively to play outside cornerback exclusively. Robert Saleh’s defense has sophomore defender Marcus Harris earmarked for the slot. The Titans need Taylor to live up to expectations in 2026.
