After trading up to select wide receiver Brandin Cooks with the 20th pick in the first round of the 2014 National Football League Draft on Thursday night, the New Orleans Saints got another player they highly coveted in cornerback Stanley Jean-Baptiste. New Orleans, who even considered trading down had Jean-Baptiste not been available, picked the former Nebraska Husker at the 26th position (58th overall) in the second round of the draft and in him they're getting a player that will fill a need of the team to perfection.
With NFL defensive backs increasingly having to defend against taller wide receivers and tight ends, big cornerbacks have never been more in vogue than they are now. But size isn't all that Jean-Baptiste brings to the table: the 6'3", 218 lbs. rookie comes with an arsenal that includes rare athleticism and football instincts to spare.
Jean-Baptiste is far from perfect however, as are most first-year players. There are flaws in his game that he'll need to erase in order to consistently see the field in New Orleans where he'll be competing with no less than three veteran cornerbacks (Champ Bailey, Corey White and Patrick Robinson) for a starting job.
As raw as he sometimes looks, when watching his game film, it is fairly easy to see why the Saints fell in love with Jean-Baptiste's abilities and maybe more importantly, his enormous potential. Let's take a look at the tape and judge for ourselves.
