Rewind: The 10 most valuable Saints players
No. 9 Tracy Porter
Credit: AP
Tracy Porter has been one of the most visible Saints celebrants following the Feb. 7 Super Bowl win. The reason he’s on this list has to do with when he wasn’t visible. Specifically, the four games he missed with a knee injury during this past season and the half season he missed in 2008 after breaking is wrist. When Porter was out, the passing attack turned on as opponents went after the right cornerback position. This season, that duty fell to Malcolm Jenkins, a talented rookie not yet ready for the job of starting. Opponents went after Porter 179 times short and to the left, the second-most in the NFL. And can you remember him getting absolutely beat? Nope, neither can I. The second-year pro from Indiana who grew up down the road in Port Allen, La., had four regular season interceptions, but his two postseason INTs are what elevate him to the top 10. He has timing and a big-play capability and perfectly complements Jabari Greer at the other corner. He was third on the team in tackles in the postseason and was 7th in the regular season. He also led the team in passes defensed with 16 How important was he this year? Though he was ready for the Dallas game, Jenkins got the start and the Cowboys went after the rookie, scoring on a 49-yard touchdown on their first possession. Porter quickly came in and shut down his man the rest of the game. And that’s just a microcosm of his worth.
