Saints interview Texas Tech DB AJ McCarty Jr. prior to his pro day

2026 has kicked off in an extremely interesting way for the New Orleans Saints, as they lost two critical defensive pieces early in free agency. With Demario Davis and Alontae Taylor now out of the fold, the Saints have some work to do on defense after spending much of their cap on offense early on. The cornerback room specifically was already in need of some additional pieces, with Kool-Aid McKinstry and Quincy Riley being the only two high-snap corners on the team.

A direct slot corner replacement would be ideal, and New Orleans is already looking into potential options, as they recently interviewed Texas Tech cornerback AJ McCarty Jr. ahead of his pro day.

While coaches and scouts did not get an opportunity to see him test, his production from the 2025 season was on full display as he appeared in 14 games. In that span, he put up 20 tackles, 2 tackles for loss, a pass deflection, 5 pressures, and 9 defensive stops. In coverage, he was very strong, only facing 18 targets, allowing 11 receptions for 102 yards, without a touchdown, and no penalties against him.

One of the only flaws in McCarty's game is his missed tackle rate, which has ranged from 15.9% in 2022 to 34.1% in 2024, and then back to 22.7% this year. He missed out on the 2023 regular season due to the NCAA transfer policy after moving from Baylor to Texas Tech, hence why he spent five seasons at the collegiate level.

Overall, he has a ton of talent when it comes to his coverage capabilities and has shown flashes of being able to tackle in space; he just needs to become a bit more reliable about doing so to really raise his ceiling.

This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: 2026 NFL Draft: Saints meet with Texas Tech slot corner AJ McCarty Jr.