It’s still early for trade talk, but the Saints may already have a spot worth watching once training camp gets rolling: outside cornerback.
New Orleans has pieces there, no doubt. Kool-Aid McKinstry brings real CB1 upside, Martin Emerson is a fresh addition, and Quincy Riley flashed in his rookie season.
But that group also comes with some real uncertainty. McKinstry and Emerson have both dealt with consistency issues, and Riley still has to prove he can keep climbing.
Training camp and preseason should tell the Saints whether they can trust that pass coverage group for 2026 or whether they need to get ahead of a problem before the regular season exposes it.
That’s where Riley Moss comes in.
The Broncos corner is the kind of name that makes sense if New Orleans decides it can’t afford to wait. Moss is Denver’s CB2 opposite Patrick Surtain, and even though he gets targeted a lot, he still holds up as a strong defender.
The biggest issue is the penalties, and that’s something he has to clean up quickly. Still, there are reasons he could be available: he’s heading into a contract year, and Denver has plenty of depth at corner.
At 26, Moss checks a lot of boxes for the Saints. He plays hard, tackles well, and has the kind of presence that can matter in a locker room.
If New Orleans sees him as more than a short-term answer, he could be a player worth extending. That matters because the cornerback situation isn’t exactly locked in for the long haul.
Emerson is only on a one-year deal, and McKinstry won’t hit a contract year until 2027.
If the Saints decide the position needs help, Moss looks like the kind of move they wouldn’t hesitate to make. They already showed last season that they’re willing to act fast when a need is obvious, trading for Devonta Vele before the regular season even began. Moss would fit that same mold: a possible fix now, and maybe a longer-term answer too.
In Other News...
5 Saints Veterans Enter Camp With Everything To Prove
Training camp always has a way of sorting out the comfortable from the vulnerable, and this summer the Saints have a handful of veterans who are walking in with real questions hanging over them. Cesar Ruiz, Carl Granderson, Isaac Yiadom and Davon Godchaux all fit that category for different reasons, whether it is contract pressure, performance expectations or the simple reality that younger options are pushing hard for jobs.
Ruizs situation is especially worth watching after the draft added Jeremiah Wright, a move that signaled the starting spot is not guaranteed. Granderson has the kind of deal that raises the stakes if the production does not keep pace, while Yiadom could find himself squeezed by cheaper depth in the secondary and Godchaux is still the main body in the middle but not without competition behind him. For a roster that does not have many easy answers, camp could decide which veterans are part of the next Saints group and which ones are suddenly fighting just to stay in the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Fans Should Start Watching This Future Edge Name Closely
The Saints long-term edge-rush picture is already starting to come into focus, and it makes sense to keep an eye on Damon Wilson II as the calendar turns toward the 2027 NFL Draft. Wilson is now at Miami after earlier stops at Georgia and Missouri, and the appeal is easy to see: he brings the kind of athleticism and pass-rush burst that can jump off the screen, which is exactly the sort of trait New Orleans will be hunting if its front seven needs a refresh.
The fit is still very much in the early stages of speculation, though, because Wilson is not yet the finished product. His pass-rush upside is obvious, but his run defense remains the question, and he is still more of a designated pressure player than a complete edge defender. For a Saints team that could be looking to rework that spot as the years move on, he is the kind of name worth filing away now, even if the full answer on his value is still to come. [Read more 🡒]