Marshon Lattimore ranks 86th in NFL.com's top-100 list
The NFL Network is in the midst of its annual top-100 players in the NFL rankings. Coming in at No. 86 this year is the star corner for the New Orleans Saints, Marshon Lattimore. The Pro Bowl corner has been featured on the top-100 list in all but one season since being drafted to the league. He is one of five Saints to make the list this year.
Lattimore in 2020
The Ohio State product had a fairly quiet year last season. But for high-end corners that is a good thing. Lattimore finished the season with 52 tackles, 11 pass deflections and two interceptions. He gave up just 626 yards on the season. And opposing receivers only caught 52.9% of the passes against him. However, Lattimore’s numbers did take a slight dip from his 2019 season, but he remained consistent in his production as the Saint’s number one pass defender. Lattimore played in just 14 games for the second straight season. He missed those two games due to a left ankle sprain.
The 2017 Defensive Rookie of the Year winner is still in his rookie contract he signed back in his first year. After practice Tuesday, Lattimore declined to speak on the ongoing contract talks with the Saints. But he did give some insight into his mindset and the bar he sets for himself.
“I feel like I’m the best in the league,” Lattimore said. “That’s just me being confident in myself, knowing what I can do and what I’ve done out there. I feel like I’m the best.”
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Going forward
Lattimore has shown he is capable of being the best, especially when he matches up against the league’s best receivers. However, the biggest knock against Lattimore is his lack of intensity and focus when going against lesser touted receivers. This is something he is also lamented in the past about himself.
“I have to go in and lock in every play, no matter what, who I’m playing,” Lattimore said last September. “That was really just my downfall, it wasn’t the lack of talent or anything like that. It was just the focus on the receiver, like, because I go against number ones all day, and then when I get easier receivers… I feel like it’s going to be a cakewalk and I got to go out there and play like I’m playing against Julio.”
Lattimore is a solid 6-foot, 192-pound corner with solid speed and agility to keep up with the best of the best in the NFL. He has the size and skills to be the best corner in the NFL. But if he wants to achieve that and find himself ranked higher on the NFL’s top 100 list, he’s going to need consistency regardless of who his matchup is for the week.