New Orleans Saints: 5 Who Must Step Up For Keenan Lewis

By Kevin Parvizi | Sep 2, 2015

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Jun 11, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints cornerback Stanley Jean-Baptiste (33) during minicamp at the New Orleans Saints Training Facility. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

CB Stanley Jean-Baptiste

I’m not exactly sure how the Saints will move around their cornerbacks against three and four-wide sets, since Breaux can kick inside with another player moving to the outside, Kenny Vaccaro can cover the slot, and Damian Swann and Wilson are two other corners worth watching (Wilson is in a great position to make the roster now that Lewis is injured).

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But if Stanley Jean-Baptiste is called up on to play, then all eyes will be focused on the promising second-round pick out of Nebraska in the 2014 draft. SJB didn’t give up a single catch on three combined targets against the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans this preseason, but he had a disastrous day in Week 2 against the New England Patriots, allowing all four passes thrown at him to be completed for 52 yards (21 after the catch) and a touchdown, according to Pro Football Focus.

Chris Harper was responsible for two catches for 45 yards and the touchdown reception against SJB, who only runs a 4.61 forty.

The subject of some really unfair Richard Sherman comparisons as a draft prospect, SJB has massive athleticism that ostensibly give him massive upside as a potential shutdown corner in this league. The problem is that he’s neither quick nor fast, meaning that he’s prone to getting burned. Already 25, Jean-Baptiste’s developmental progress at this point is unclear, and while he has flashed, the key is consistency; he can’t afford to go out there and get torched.

Now in his second season, the Saints will want to see what SJB has in him, because older project players don’t last long before getting cut.

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