Marshon Lattimore Has Proved His Worth Faster Than Anyone Could Have Realistically Imagined10/24/2017
You know what's even crazier than a first year cornerback doing his job in locking down one side of the field at a rate this statistically unforeseen amongst first year players at any position? The fact that I'm writing about it no more than 5 games into his NFL career and that somehow feels long-belated. Even during the first two games when the Saints were still waiting for the black cloud of piss poor defense's past to pass over, Marshon Lattimore was making sure those completions weren't sailing above his head. Now that New Orleans boasts a (::knock on all the wood::) competent complimentary unit on the other side of the ball, however, the 21 year old's impact on a rejuvenated secondary that's already one pick away from matching last year's total is all the more obvious. There will inevitably come a time when Marshon Lattimore gets toasted, and the nicest possible thing I can say about him thus far is that my initial reaction will be one of surprise when it does finally happen. As a Saints fan, it had been engrained in me through years of watching overpaid defensive backs trail the play by 10+ yards (on the off-chance they didn't take a penalty by desperately clutching to their receiver after the first 5) to expect every pass downfield to result in a play that gains at least 20+ yards. I think I speak for every member of the Who Dat Nation when I say that broken coverages had broken our spirit. We had become desensitized to pass defense that felt about as secure as an undersized blanket that leaves your feet exposed in the dead of winter. That said, we're not even halfway through his rookie season, and the Saints first round draft pick has inspired a level of confidence that I never even knew existed. I don't want to overstate things here, but Marshon Lattimore has taught me how to smile when the Saints are on the field and Drew Brees is not. One day that number '23' will (hypothetically) be on the black & gold back of a player in hopeless pursuit, but the fact that it hasn't happened yet is almost as surreal as the fact that I have to actively convince myself that it actually will so as to lesson the shock value when (or if) it does. Speak on it, Kenny...
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