Triplett: After losing Josh Norman bid, Saints must address CB need

There is no questioning that the New Orleans Saints need to address multiple positions on the defensive side of the ball. One was cornerback and after losing out on Josh Norman, one reporter believes that it is a priority for the team.

ESPN’s Mike Triplett, who specifically covers the Saints, has been ranking the team’s biggest needs. It just so happens that on Saturday, just a day after Norman opted to sign with the Washington Redskins over the Saints, the cornerback position was ranked fifth on his list.

He pointed out that the Saints do have a good crop of young cornerbacks, with the oldest being Keenan Lewis and Tony Carter, who are both 29. This will help keep the team from having to draft a cornerback with the 12th overall pick next Thursday, but it does not mean they should ignore the position altogether.

“The Saints may well decide to draft another special cornerback in Round 1 – maybe Florida’s Vernon Hargreaves III or Houston’s William Jackson III. Their pass defense could obviously use some reinforcements after they set the NFL record for TD passes allowed last year (45).”

Many have New Orleans taking a player like Sheldon Rankins, Kevin Dodd, or, if available, Shaq Lawson to bolster their pass rush. However, making up for losing Josh Norman with a player like Hargreaves or Jackson could be their best decision.

Nobody will really know what they are going to do until the Saints are on the clock next Thursday.

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*Featured Photo (above) credit to USA TODAY Sports

Top five players in Jacksonville Jaguars history
Top five players in Jacksonville Jaguars history