ESPN: Quincy Riley tabbed as Saints' 2026 breakout candidate

Quincy Riley carved out a meaningful role in the New Orleans Saints' secondary as a rookie. Now, ESPN's Ben Solak believes the young cornerback could take an even bigger step in 2026 with the departure of standout Alontae Taylor, who signed with the Tennessee Titans in free agency. Solak named Riley the Saints' breakout candidate in his recent predictions for all 32 NFL teams. New Orleans selected Riley in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and he quickly emerged as the third cornerback behind Taylor and Kool-Aid McKinstry.

"The Saints struck gold in the middle rounds last season when they found two solid starting defensive backs — Riley and third-round safety Jonas Sanker — to fill out a defense desperate for talent," Solak wrote.