Alontae Taylor

PRO: The Titans signed Alontae Taylor early in the 2026 free agency period to add athleticism and playmaking to the secondary. The 6-foot-1-inch, 199-pound cornerback was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft and saw action in 64 games with 53 starts with the club.  Prior to his arrival in Tennessee, the University of Tennessee product collected 292 tackles, four interceptions, seven sacks, 21 stops for loss, three forced fumbles and 52 passes defensed in his first four pro campaigns.  His 52 pass breakups from 2022-25 rank fourth in the NFL.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:  
• In 2025, Taylor tallied 83 tackles, two interceptions, two sacks, 11 passes defensed and seven stops for loss in his final season with the Saints.
• In 2024, Taylor posted career-highs with 89 tackles, four sacks, seven stops for a loss, 16 passes defensed and two forced fumbles. His 16 passes defensed led the Saints and tied for fifth in the NFL.

TITANS TIDBITS:  
• Taylor annually holds his Chosen One Youth Football Camp for local youth ages 6-18 at Coffee County High School in his hometown of Manchester, Tenn.
• Taylor enrolled early at University of Tennessee in the spring of 2018 and began his career at wide receiver. He transitioned to defensive back in fall camp and became the first Vols true freshman to start a season opener in the secondary since 2013.
• Taylor was voted by his peers to two terms as the vice chair of the SEC Football Leadership Council, where he ended up being instrumental as a student voice in helping the SEC return to play during the Covid-19 pandemic.

CAREER TRANSACTIONS:  
• The Manchester, Tenn., native was selected by the New Orleans in the second round (49th overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft.
• Signed by the Titans as an unrestricted free agent on March 12, 2026.

SEASON RECAPS:

2025 (17/16 - New Orleans):  Saw action in all 17 games for the third consecutive season with a career-best 16 starts.  Amassed 83 tackles, two interceptions, two sacks, 11 passes defensed and seven stops for loss.  
• At Carolina (11/9), tallied six tackles, an interception and a stop for loss. Picked off a Bryce Young pass intended for Tetairoa McMillan and returned it 11 yards in the final stanza.
• At Tampa Bay (12/7), collected two tackles, an interception and another pass defensed. Intercepted a Baker Mayfield pass intended for Kameron Johnson and brought it back 10 yards on the first drive of the second half.
• At Tennessee (12/28), tied a career-high with nine tackles to go along with a season-best four passes defensed.

2024 (17/15 - New Orleans):  Played in all 17 contests with 15 combined starts at both nickel cornerback and outside cornerback, recording career-highs with 89 tackles, four sacks, seven stops for a loss, 16 passes defensed and two forced fumbles.  His 16 passes defensed tied for fifth in the NFL.
• Against Carolina (9/8), recorded a team-high six stops, a pass defensed and three sacks. Became the first Saints defensive back to ever record three sacks in a game and sparked a statement win in the season opener.
• At Dallas (9/15), started at nickel cornerback and led the team in tackles for the second straight week, recording a career-high nine tackles, including a stop for loss.
• At Carolina (11/3), moved into the starting lineup at outside cornerback, where he stayed for the remainder of the season, finishing game with four tackles and a season-high three passes defensed.

2023 (17/13 - New Orleans):  Appeared in all 17 contests with 13 starts as the nickel cornerback and tallied 75 tackles, two interceptions, 14 passes defensed, a sack, six stops for loss and a forced fumble.  His 14 passes defensed tied for ninth in th NFL.
• Against Tennessee (9/10), recorded four tackles and a pass defensed in season-opening win while playing a pivotal role in a secondary that forced Ryan Tannehill into a career-low 28.8 passer rating.
• At Green Bay (9/24), posted five tackles, a sack, two stops for loss and a career-high five passes defensed tying for the league's highest single-game total in 2023.
• Against Carolina (12/10), recorded six tackles, his first career forced fumble and two passes defensed.
• At Tampa Bay (12/31), posted his first career interception, while adding four tackles. Intercepted a pass intended for Trey Palmer early in the second quarter.
• Against Atlanta (1/7), notched his second straight game with an interception in the season finale. Picked off a Desmond Ridder pass intended for Kyle Pitts and returned it 16 yards to the Falcons' 25-yard line early in third stanza.

2022 (13/9 - New Orleans):  Appeared in 13 games with nine starts as a rookie and registered 45 tackles, a team-high 11 passes defensed, a stop for loss and a special teams tackle.  His 11 passes defensed ranked fourth among NFL rookies.  Placed on injured reserve on Sept. 24 and missed four games before being designated to return on Oct. 20.
• At Atlanta (9/11), made his NFL debut as a reserve on special teams.
• Against Las Vegas (10/30), started at cornerback and registered three solo tackles and game-high tying three passes defensed in 24-0 shutout.
• Against Atlanta (12/18), started at cornerback and notched four solo tackles and three passes defensed.

COLLEGE: 
• Played in 45 games with 31 starts at cornerback in four seasons at Tennessee (2018-21) and collected 162 tackles, four interceptions (one he returned 56 yards for a touchdown), a half sack, five stops for loss, three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery for a touchdown, 17 passes defensed and a blocked punt.
• As a senior (2021), started all 12 games of the regular season and had a career-best 60 tackles, two interceptions and six passes defensed. Added an additional pick on a two-point conversion attempt and a forced fumble.
• As a junior (2020), played in eight games with five starts at cornerback despite battling injuries much of the season. Tallied 29 tackles, including two stops for loss, an interception and five passes defensed.
• As a sophomore (2019), saw action in all 13 games with six starts and finished the season with 33 tackles, an interception, a half sack and four passes defensed.
• As a true freshman (2018), played in all 12 games with eight starts and recorded 40 tackles, a stop for loss, two forced fumbles, two passes defensed and a blocked kick. Became Tennessee's first true freshman defensive back to start a season opener since 2013.
• Earned his undergraduate degree in communication studies from Tennessee in December 2021.

PERSONAL:  
• Attended Coffee County (Manchester, Tenn.) High School where he was a consensus top 10 recruit in Tennessee. Tallied 8,225 yards of total offense and 75 touchdowns during his four-year career at quarterback.
• Was a member of the ESPN 300 and was invited to play in the 2018 Under Armour All-American Game.
• Played in the 2017 Toyota East West Tennessee Football All-Star Classic and was named MVP of the East Team after throwing the game-winning touchdown on a double-pass.
• As a senior (2017), made Tennessee Sports Writers Association Class 6A All-State team and earned Region 3-6A Athlete of the Year.
• Taylor grew up playing baseball, basketball and football, but then focused solely on football after his freshman year of high school.
• Son of Laurie and Nate Love. Has two sisters, Al'keiah Martin and Lauryn Newbern.
• Taylor credits his late grandmother, Ginger Irene Burnett Reese, as his biggest motivator and one of the main reasons why he made it to the NFL.
• Follow Taylor on Instagram at @alontaeetaylor and on X at @taeetaylor.
• Born Alontae Devaun Taylor on Dec. 3, 1998 in Winchester, Tenn.