Key Takeaways from Tuesday, August 5

Defensive back’s coach Terry Joseph has come full circle. From a standout baseball player from Archbishop Shaw to a stellar career at Northwestern State then a four-year pro career, to a 19-year college football assistant coach and now to an NFL assistant in his hometown. As the practices continue to build, it appears more and more that the defensive back room could be one of strength for this Saints team. We saw more of that during Tuesday’s practice as Alontae Taylor stepped in front of Alvin Kamara during 11-on-11 drill but was not able to hang on a sure pick-six, but nonetheless, a PBU. Safety Jordan Howden continued to get reps with first team, (along with Justin Reid) and had a tremendous sequence during the split field 11-on-11. Against Tyler Shough, Reid jumped a sideline left route and like his counterpart Taylor, drop a sure pick-six. Just a few plays later though, Howden would not be denied. This time Shough looked to wide receiver Chris Olave on the left hash for about 20 yards. Howden would have none of it, sprinting over to his right and making the interception near the sideline and raced back up the field for big yardage. On the right side, cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry did not allow one completion from his cover Tuesday, and Taylor continues to wreak havoc as a blitzer and a strong cover on the slot receiver. The opportunity to see them all in action Sunday against another team is one that each player and coach is excited about.