Where Saints corner Alontae Taylor ranks among 2026 top 50 free agents

What did each of the New Orleans Saints players traded at this week's deadline have in common? Both wide receiver Rashid Shaheed and offensive lineman Trevor Penning were on track to become free agents in the spring. That's also true of cornerback Alontae Taylor, who was nearly dealt at the NFL trade deadline, too. The Saints made an effort to move on from guys who weren't in their long-term plans, and for the most part, they succeeded.

Of course there's another side to that. The team's list of free agents to try and extend in 2026 just got shorter. And just one of them made the cut for the too-early free agency rankings from Bleacher Report. B/R's Kristopher Knox ranked the top 50 players headed for the market at the end of this season, and he expects Taylor to draw multiple suitors:

Alontae Taylor might not be as well-known as fellow free-agent corners like Cam Taylor-Britt and Greg Newsome II. However, the 26-year-old has been a reliable starter for the New Orleans Saints. A physical, 6'0", 199-pound defender, he can fit multiple schemes.

Taylor has played inside and out on the boundary for the Saints, and at least one team interested in trading for him saw him as a starter outside. So he'll have ample opportunities if he reaches free agency. Knox ranked Taylor as the third-best cornerback in the 2026 class and 39th overall, trailing guys like Jaylen Watson (No. 8) and Riq Woolen (No. 6). We'll have to wait and see what kind of interest Taylor draws on the open market, but it's beginning to sound like he could expect top dollar.

This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Where Saints corner Alontae Taylor ranks among 2026 top 50 free agents