After losing Marcus Williams to the Baltimore Ravens in free agency, the New Orleans Saints appeared to have their sights set on former Penn State Nittany Lions star safety Jaquan Brisker in the 2022 NFL Draft.
During a one-on-one interview with Arizona Cardinals insider Kyle Odegard for CasinoBets, the Chicago Bears defensive back revealed that he and then-Saints head coach Dennis Allen had a successful meeting at the NFL Combine, where he was apparently told New Orleans planned to select him with pick No. 49.
As the second round unfolded and the Saints’ pick approached, it seemed the Saints would get their wish of pairing Brisker with newly signed safety Marcus Maye, formerly of the New York Jets. Instead, Chicago swooped in to select Brisker just one slot ahead of New Orleans at pick No. 48.
The Saints ultimately drafted Tennessee Volunteers standout defensive back Alontae Taylor, then pivoted to the splash signing of star safety and Louisiana native Tyrann Mathieu on a three-year deal just weeks later.
“I love Coach Allen. I still remember what he was trying to teach me at the Combine and said that to him, and he was laughing,” Brisker said of his new defensive coordinator. He also mentioned watching film on Mathieu and fellow Saints safety and All-Pro special teams ace J.T. Gray to prepare for the 2025 season under the new scheme.
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A look at how Jaquan Brisker and Alontae Taylor’s careers compare so far according to Pro Football Focus:
Brisker: 3 interceptions, 4 forced fumbles (2 recovered), 7 passes broken up, 7 sacks, 18 total pressures, 239 total tackles (178 solo), 73 stops and 1 pass batted at the line of scrimmage on 2,143 defensive snaps in 35 games.
Taylor: 2 interceptions, 2 forced fumbles, 26 passes broken up, 6 sacks, 13 total pressures, 200 total tackles (171 solo) and 60 stops on 2,688 defensive snaps in 47 games.
How different would things look today if the Saints had been able to select Jaquan Brisker instead of Alontae Taylor? Would New Orleans still be looking for a future at safety given Brisker’s concussion history? And would that history even exist?
