Since the Marshon Lattimore trade during the 2024 NFL season, the New Orleans Saints have had glaring holes in the secondary.
Since then, New Orleans has let Paulson Adebo and Alontae Taylor walk for big contracts elsewhere and seen the retirement of NFL legend Tyran Mathieu. Sure, they’ve made solid additions, signing Justin Reid and bringing Julian Blackmon on a prove-it deal, but 2026 is set up to be a big challenge for the New Orleans defense.
The Saints will face a plethora of the league’s top
wideouts. From the superstar level facing Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, and Amon-Ra St. Brown, to worthy opponents in DK Metcalf, Malik Nabors, and Drake London, there isn’t a lack of talent at wide receiver on the schedule for New Orleans.
For the Saints, the concern is at the youth level. Kool-Aid McKinstry had a solid second half of the season in 2025, and safety Jonas Sanker and cornerback Quincy Riley were standouts from the promising 2025 draft class. But the front office rightfully doesn’t feel fully comfortable with their second-year defenders, bringing Blackmon back and signing cornerback Martin Emerson Jr.
When signed, Emerson mentioned the discussions revolving his signing with the front office, labeling himself as a boundary corner. If the former Cleveland Browns cornerback gets the start, it’s unlikely that Riley would be moved to the slot, making him a depth piece rather than a starter.
New Orleans is betting a lot on their young players. McKinstry is in his third season in the league, and with a solid performance, could earn an extension when the season wraps up. If the former second-round pick doesn’t perform to the standard the Saints are expecting, they’ll likely target his replacement in the following draft.
Sanker was one of the Saints’ biggest standouts of the rookie class. He made play-after-play, and overperformed his late third-round value. While New Orleans did bring back Blackmon, Sanker will likely continue to see playtime, with one of the two playing more in the slot, likely Blackmon. Sanker did perform well as a rookie, but his lows were really low, highlighted by back-to-back breakdowns against the New England Patriots.
The Saints’ secondary personnel is a huge question entering the season, and the only spots that feel certain are Reid and McKinstry getting the start. With the black and gold set to face some of the league’s best pass catchers, they’ll be up for a big challenge in 2026 as uncertainty remains in the secondary.
