New Orleans Saints cornerback Isaac Yiadom expects to be targeted in Marshon Lattimore’s absence

In the Saints’ third game of the season, Yiadom started at left cornerback for the injured Paulson Adebo against Green Bay and despite a mostly solid day (four pass breakups and four tackles), in the fourth quarter of the 18-17 loss, he picked up a 22-yard pass interference penalty on Green Bay’s first touchdown drive and was in coverage on the touchdown pass as the Packers tied the score, then took the lead on a successful point-after attempt.

He wasn’t credited with a start in the next game against Tampa Bay, when Adebo still was inactive, but he intercepted a pass at the Saints’ 1-yard line to prevent a touchdown and defended two passes, while adding six tackles.

Since, Yiadom’s contributions mainly have come on special teams as a gunner on punt returns. But now, with Lattimore sidelined by an ankle injury sustained against Minnesota on Nov. 12, the 6-foot-1, 188-pounder is expected to step in at right corner and provide for New Orleans much of what it already has seen.

“He’s an All-Pro player, we all mirror our games after him,” Yiadom said of Lattmore. “So it’s tough losing him, but at the end of the day, it’s next man up. So I’ve got an opportunity to go out there and fill in his shoes. It’s pretty big shoes to fill in, but I’m not going to have a problem doing it.”

With New Orleans being his fifth NFL team in six seasons, Yiadom, who has a career-high seven pass breakups this season, has shown that he not only can stick on an NFL roster, but that he can positively impact as he prepares for his 22nd start in 81 games.

“I’m pretty comfortable,” he said. “I stay prepared every single game, like I’m going to play. So it doesn’t matter if somebody is out or somebody is in, I expect to play every single game. So I prepare the same way, nothing’s going to change.

“I got an OTA and a training camp under my belt, and I’m in the system now. So I just feel like I’m building on what we started in the spring and fall.”

That said, Yiadom wants to tighten up his red zone coverage.

“The things I think I can improve from the games I played is the red zone phase,” he said. “It’s something I’m trying to get better at in practice, and emphasize that in the game.”

He’ll need that, and possibly more. Adebo leads the team in interceptions (four), pass breakups (13), fumble recoveries (two) and forced fumbles (two). Partly, that is due to opponents testing him rather than Lattimore.