Lattimore - Best cornback since Woodson

[Mid Iowa]

The defensive rookie of the year in 2018 (2017 season) was Marshon Lattimore. I'll argue that if it weren't for one fluke play, he'd have played in a Superbowl in his rookie year.

His Sophomore year started out a little sluggish, but look at his overall performance. And behold, he's 1 game away from a Superbowl, yet again.

Lattimore's stats are strikingly similar to another HOF cornerback, and defensive ROTY 1998, Charles Woodson.

Both had 5 INT's their rookie season (Latt missed 3 games due to injury). Fumbles, 1-2 respectively. Similar (to each other) stats in tackling.
Sophomore season, Latt 2 INT's, Woody 1. Forced fumbles, 4-0 respectively. Tackles are within 3 of each other.

So, as people are saying Lattimore is having a Sophomore slump, the kid is actually performing pretty darn well, and is right up there with the first 2 seasons of a clear cut HOF CB.

20 years in the making, I just thought I'd throw that out here as we approach the NFC Champs game.

Cheers!!

[JMG5]

I disagree. You can't just compare statistics and deem the two players equal.

[navysaintsfan]

I wholeheartedly disagree with this assessment. The kid is great in my eyes. I think the notion of a sophomore slump is very over-exaggerated, he is still playing very well. But comparing him to an All Time great? No, can't do it. Do I think he can grow into this comparison? Absolutely. But making it right now seems like a huge stretch.

[Mid Iowa]

I'm sticking with it.
The skill, talent, and work ethic this kid has shown tells me he's on his way to greatness.

@JMG5 please show me where I said he's equal to Woodson. "Strikingly similar" stats, and "best CB since Woodson" is in no way saying "this kid is Woodson reincarnate". Perhaps my mistake was I didn't type "best CB Rookie of the Year since Woodson" which is really what prompted the post.

@navysaintsfan so we can't compare new players to all time greats? At what point does that come off the table? Who shouldn't we compare Michael Thomas to, yet? Or Mark Ingram.

I threw up a comparative stat as they are incredibly similar, but again, I didn't say this kid is the next Charles Woodson. Now, I won't take it off the table.
Let's discuss again in 13 years, shall we?

[Fray32]

Lattimore is a baller no doubt about it. But he can absolutely be had, and we've all seen it plenty of times. Thing is, we're actually used to seeing our corners get had more often which might color our perception of him. He's almost certainly the best corner this team has had since Payton and Brees joined though

[navysaintsfan]

To say he is the best CB since Woodson is saying he is currently better than EVERY CB there has been since Woodson. Are you saying he has been as good/better than Champ Bailey? Darrel Revis? Patrick Peterson? Richard Sherman? After two seasons, one of which we saw a slight but noticeable dip in performance, I just don't understand how you can make this kind of comparison. Let alone make a statement that says he is better then other greats since Woodson.

And trust me, I'd love to revisit this in 13 years talking about how Lattimore is a 1st Ballot HoF.

[Jlowe22]

He looks great but need to see more.  He’s not all time great let’s not go that far.

Im just glad we have a cb that can catch picks instead of bounce them up in the air and fall down while the receiver walks into the end zone.

[Mid Iowa]

6 hours ago, navysaintsfan said:

To say he is the best CB since Woodson is saying he is currently better than EVERY CB there has been since Woodson. Are you saying he has been as good/better than Champ Bailey? Darrel Revis? Patrick Peterson? Richard Sherman? After two seasons, one of which we saw a slight but noticeable dip in performance, I just don't understand how you can make this kind of comparison. Let alone make a statement that says he is better then other greats since Woodson.

And trust me, I'd love to revisit this in 13 years talking about how Lattimore is a 1st Ballot HoF.

I'm not sure you saw my correction regarding what my thought was, and I'm not going to change the title of the thread as I think that's kinda chicken crap. The "best CB rookie of the year" since Woodson.

No, I don't think he's the best CB since Woodson, and I don't think he's the best CB in the league. Maybe not even top 10 this season. So, YOU are absolutely right, we can't call him an all time great after 2 seasons, and you'll get no argument from me there.

That said, you simply can't take his first two years of the table when comparing to Woodson. They've performed very similarly in their first two seasons, that's all.

[Destructo Spin]

He's a good one for sure. Best since Woodson, nah. He wasn't as good this year as he was his rookie season.

Pro Football Focus had him as the #20 CB this year, which sounds about right. No shame in being the 20th best out of how many the league....120 or so at least?

Definitely the best CB we've had in a long time though. Maybe the best we've ever had. I guess the people in that conversation would be Greer, McKenzie, Thomas, Lewis, Porter, Allen, Cook, Waymer? I think he's probably better than all of those guys.