NFL CAREER – Selected by New Orleans in the second round (49th overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft, Taylor has appeared in 30 contests with 22 starts in his first two campaigns, totaling 120 tackles (94 solo), one sack, two interceptions, 25 passes defensed, seven stops for loss, and a forced fumble. After starting his rookie season primarily as a special teams contributor, then opening nine of the last 11 games at outside corner, Taylor continued to be a big piece of the Saints secondary in 2023, starting 13 of 17 contests and adapting to a new role as slot corner.
TRANSACTIONS – Activated from Injured Reserve, 10/20/22; Placed on Injured Reserve, 9/24/22; Signed a four year contract, 7/19/22; Selected in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft (49th overall).
2023 – Appeared in all 17 contests with 13 starts manning the nickel role, recording 75 tackles (56 solo), one sack, two interceptions, 14 passes defensed, six stops for loss, and one forced fumble, all career-highs while his 14 passes defensed tied for ninth in the National Football League…Recorded four tackles (two solo) and one pass defense in opening win vs Tennessee, Sept. 10, playing a pivotal role in a secondary that forced Titans QB Ryan Tannehill into a career-low 28.8 passer rating…Added five solo stops, two stops for loss, and one pass defense at Carolina, Sept. 18…Posted five solo tackles, one sack, two stops for loss and a career-high five passes defensed, tied for the league's highest single-game total in 2023, at Green Bay, Sept. 24…Had six tackles (four solo) to tie for the team lead in a 34-0 shutout victory, where New Orleans surrendered only 111 net passing yards, at New England, Oct. 8…Made six stops (five solo) vs Jacksonville, Oct. 19…Recorded five tackles (four solo), a stop for loss, and two passes defended at Minnesota, Nov. 12…At Atlanta, Nov. 26, totaled six tackles (three solo)…Recorded six tackles (three solo), one forced fumble and two passes defensed, vs Carolina, Dec. 10, with New Orleans surrendering a season-low 110 net passing yards…Totaled six stops (four solo) and one stop for loss, vs N.Y. Giants, Dec. 17…Tied season-highs in tackles (six) and solo tackles (five) in a Thursday night contest at Rams, Dec. 21…Posted first career interception, while adding four tackles (three solo) and one pass defensed in win at Tampa Bay, Dec. 31…Recorded his second straight game with a pick in finale vs. Atlanta, 1/7/24, while also adding a solo stop and pass defense. 2022 – Appeared in 13 games with nine starts and finished season with with 45 tackles (38 solo), one stop for loss and a club-best 11 passes defensed, adding a special teams tackle. Pass defense total ranked fourth among NFL rookies and was only fourth Saints rookie to lead the team (Saints did not track statistic before 1980)…In opener at Atlanta, Sept. 11, made debut on special teams…Vs. Tampa Bay, Sept. 18, recorded a pass defense in first NFL defensive action…At Arizona, Oct. 20, returned from knee injury that sidelined him four weeks and had first NFL start at LCB, recording three solo stops…Vs. Las Vegas, Oct. 30, opened at RCB, where he would start four straight weeks. Registered three solo tackles and game-high tying three passes defensed in 24-0 shutout…Vs. Baltimore, Nov. 7, recorded five tackles (three solo) and a pass defense…At Pittsburgh, Nov. 13, posted a career-high six solo tackles…Vs. L.A. Rams, Nov. 20, started and finished with five solo tackles and one pass defense...At Tampa Bay, Dec. 5, started at NCB and recorded career-high eight tackles (career-high tying six solo) and a pass defense…Vs. Atlanta, Dec. 18, started and made four solo tackles and three passes defensed…At Cleveland, Dec. 24, started and recorded five tackles (three solo) and one pass defense, as New Orleans surrendered only 135 net passing yards…Vs. Carolina, 1/8/23, started at LCB and recorded two solo tackles as New Orleans surrendered only 32 net passing yards, the sixth lowest total by a Saints opponent all-time and QB Sam Darnold managed only a 2.8 passer rating, the lowest an opposing quarterback (min. ten att.) had against the Saints all-time.
COLLEGE CAREER – Started playing CB as a freshman at Tennessee after beginning his college career at WR. He took to the secondary and special teams quickly, playing in 45 games with 31 starts and finishing his college career with totals of 162 tackles (115 solo), a split sack, five stops for loss, three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery for a touchdown, four interceptions, one returned 56 yards for a TD, 17 passes defensed and one blocked punt…As a senior in 2020, proved to be one of the best CBs in the SEC, when he started all 12 games of the regular season and had a career-best 60 tackles, six passes defensed, two interceptions, an additional pick on a two-point conversion attempt and one forced fumble to be selected fourth-team All-SEC (Phil Steele)...As a junior in 2019, appeared in eight games and made five starts, despite battling a hamstring injury. Finished with 29 tackles, two stops for loss, five pass defenses and an interception. Earned Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll accolades for the second straight year, as well as being voted by his peers to the first of two terms as the vice chair of the SEC Football Leadership Council, where he ended up being instrumental as a student voice in helping the SEC return to play during the Covid-19 pandemic…As a sophomore in 2018, saw action in all 13 games with six starts and finished the season with 33 tackles, one interception, one split sack and four passes defensed…In 2017, played in all 12 games with eight starts as he became Tennessee's first true freshman DB to start an opener since 2013, posting 40 tackles (28 solo), a stop for loss, two forced fumbles, two breakups, one fumble recovery for a touchdown and one blocked kick…Graduated with a bachelor's degree in communication studies.
PERSONAL - Rated a four-star prospect and a consensus top 10 recruit in Tennessee out of Coffee County (Manchester, Tenn.) HS…Member of the ESPN 300…Invited to play in the 2018 Under Armour All-American Game…Played in the 2017 Toyota East West TN Football All-Star Classic – named MVP of the East Team after throwing the game-winning touchdown on a double-pass…In 2017, made Tennessee Sports Writers Association Class 6A All-State team and earned Region 3-6A Athlete of the Year…Tallied 8,225 yards of total offense and 75 TDs during four-year career at QB…In April, 2023, joined teammates Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed to work with children at Martin Behrman Charter School to help open a new fit zone with a football experience, promoting a healthy lifestyle in speaking to the youth…Interacted with fans at the 2023 Saints Draft Crawfish Cook-off, which benefited several Autism-related non-profits…For the league's "My Cause, My Cleats" promotion in 2022, wore specially designed cleats to support the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)…In October, he and several teammates joined Ochsner oncology patients and their supporters for a dinner at the Ochsner Sports Performance Center…Partnered with Inspire NOLA to host a turkey and ham giveaway for the community in November prior to Thanksgiving…In April, he, Olave and Carl Granderson visited with students at Alice Harte Charter School ahead of standardized testing week…Says that his late grandmother, Ginger Irene Burnett Reese, was his biggest motivator…Grew up playing baseball, basketball and football but focused solely on football after freshman year…Originally from Winchester, Tenn., but moved to nearby Manchester in fourth grade…Alontae Devaun Taylor was born Dec. 3, 1998.
