Saints' new nickel Jonas Sanker will face big test in Week 1 at Lions
· Yahoo Sports
Alontae Taylor left the New Orleans Saints for a big-money contract with the Tennessee Titans in free agency, but the team's first choice to replace him was already on the roster: second-year safety Jonas Sanker. Taylor manned the slot for New Orleans in their nickel defense, which remained the most common personnel package after Brandon Staley installed his playbook. With Taylor out of the picture, it was Sanker replacing him at organized team activities (OTAs).
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And if Sanker holds onto that job come September, he'll face a big test against Detroit Lions slot receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown in Week 1. St. Brown makes plays all over the field, but he's run more routes from the slot (331 of them in 2025) than any other receiver on the Lions' depth chart throughout his career. Last year he was in the slot more than twice as often as Jamseon Williams (145). The rest of Detroit's receiving corps totaled 202 slot routes altogether. He's a tough out -- St. Brown led the NFL in touchdown catches from the slot last season (8 of them), also ranking third in receiving yards (658).
The Saints mostly did a good job against St. Brown in their last meeting in 2023, limiting him to just two catches on six targets. But both catches changed the game, and his 25-yard touchdown reception came when he lined up in the slot, too. He caught a 5-yard pass from Jared Goff, shook off a tackle from a linebacker and outran Taylor to the end zone. Every snap counts, and if Sanker can't contain St. Brown when he's asked to, it could make for a long afternoon in Detroit thsi SEptember.
This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Lions slot WR Amon-Ra St. Brown tests new Saints nickel Jonas Sanker