New Orleans Saints trade cornerback Marshon Lattimore to Commanders, helping build their 2025 NFL Draft

The next time we see New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore take the field in person at the Caesars Superdome, the date will be December 15 and the Pro Bowl cornerback will wear the jersey of that day’s opponent, the Washington Commanders. .

Lattimore’s eight-year career with the Saints ended Tuesday when he was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2017 and was a fifth-round pick in 2025 were traded to the commanders for Washington’s third, fourth and sixth rounds in 2025.

Saints Executive Vice President/General Manager Mickey Loomis said interest in Lattimore has increased over the past week given the Saints’ record (2-7 going into Sunday’s game against Atlanta at the Caesars Superdome).

“That will stimulate the calls and we’ve had a number of them in the last four or five days,” Loomis said Tuesday night on The Saints Hour radio program, broadcast on WWL-870 AM.

Lattimore was the first of two first-round picks out of New Orleans in 2017, No. 11 overall, and started all 97 games he played for the Saints. The past three seasons have been interrupted by several injuries that forced Lattimore to miss 10 games in 2022, seven games in 2023 and two games this season after sitting out almost all of training camp with a hip pointer.

But as a four-time Pro Bowler, Lattimore was, in addition to his Defensive ROY award, the most decorated cornerback in franchise history. He finished his Saints career with 15 interceptions (two returned for touchdowns), 88 passes defensed, five fumble recoveries, 405 tackles and seven tackles for loss.

In seven games this season, Lattimore has had two passes defended and 30 tackles.

“Marshon has been a great player for us,” Loomis said. “He was a great draft pick – he was the Defensive Rookie of the Year and made the Pro Bowl a number of times. He’s a great player, he’s a good teammate. I have nothing but good things to say about Marshon.

“Unfortunately, he’s had some soft tissue injuries and a few other injuries over the last few years. But I believe he’s still one of the better corners in our league and Washington is getting a good player for it.” their playoff push and their run. So I wish him nothing but the best, I really do.

“In the end it came down to a deal that I thought was good for us, a good price for us, and that’s why we did it.”

New Orleans currently has a first-round pick, a second-round pick, two third-rounders, two fourth-rounders and two sixth-rounders in the 2025 NFL Draft.

“It gives us a good number of picks in next year’s draft,” Loomis said.

Lattimore’s departure potentially opens the door for cornerback Alontae Taylor to move to outside cornerback full-time after starting at the slot corner to open each of his three NFL seasons.

Taylor has moved from slot to outside corner due to injuries in recent seasons – and is currently sidelined due to Lattimore (hamstring) injuries and the season-ending injury to Paulson Adebo – and has shown playmaking ability outside, reflecting his positional preference.