The New Orleans Saints have depth questions at several positions, but cornerback is not one of them.
It's a position that goes four deep when you add in rookie second-round pick Kool-Aid McKinstry, but it's the 2021 3rd round pick who landed on a recent NFL dot com listing of each team's most "underappreciated" player.
"One player who shined individually within that unit was Adebo, a second-year pro who tied for the team lead in picks (4). He also ranked third in the NFL in passes defensed (18) and posted the 10th-best passer rating allowed (58.5), according to NGS (min. 400 coverage snaps)," writes Tom Blair. "Whether or not Derek Carr and the offense can fully cohere after an up-and-down 2023 is still uncertain, but Adebo is one of a handful of young standouts who can help keep New Orleans competitive on D while Carr and Co. try to take a step forward."
It's hard to disagree when you consider that he's also had to man the CB1 spot for a large amount of that time with star Marshon Lattimore missing significant time with injuries each of the past two seasons.
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Adebo, who won a competition with Alontae Taylor last year for the outside cornerback spot, also represents a significant question as he heads into the final year of his rookie contract. Should a lucrative extension be on the table?
The Saints head into the season with enough options in the CB room to play it out and see what happens. Assuming there are no trades or injuries Taylor appears like he'll continue to work in the slot, with McKinstry representing a wild card once he's able to get back on the field after rehabbing a foot injury discovered during the offseason.
The Saints are back in action this week for their final set of OTAs, followed by a mandatory minicamp next week.