Chauncey Gardner-Johnson proving to be a major playmaker for Saints

Rookie safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson is becoming a key piece for the New Orleans Saints.

The New Orleans Saints did not set themselves up for success in the 2019 NFL Draft. They did not have a first or third-round selection in the draft, leaving second-round offensive lineman Erik McCoy as their only player taken before Day 3. However, the Saints swung for the fences early on Day 3, bringing in Florida safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson in the fourth round. It is still early in his career, but so far, the Gardner-Johnson pick has paid off in a major way.

Gardner-Johnson was considered by many to be a possible first-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. At worst, Gardner-Johnson seemed like a solid second-round selection by the time the draft rolled around. However, for some reason, Gardner-Johnson slipped down the board and fell to the fourth round. There were some consistency concerns with Gardner-Johnson heading into the draft, but he is a talented player who never should have fallen that far.

The Saints took a chance on Gardner-Johnson and it has paid off in a big way so far. It is still early, but Gardner-Johnson has come in and made an immediate impact for the Saints this season. He has played in all 12 games for the Saints this season and has even picked up four starts.

Through those 12 games, Gardner-Johnson has piled up 25 total tackles, four quarterback hits and seven passes defended. On Thursday night against the Atlanta Falcons, Gardner-Johnson came down with his first career interception. On that play, Gardner-Johnson baited veteran quarterback Matt Ryan into making a bad throw and closed on the ball quickly. It was an extremely smart and athletic play that showed off his overall upside in the defensive backfield.

The Saints like to run a lot of three-safety defensive looks, which is why Gardner-Johnson has been able to come in and make an immediate impact. He is an extremely athletically gifted defensive back who fits the modern NFL extremely well. Gardner-Johnson has a well-rounded skill-set that has allowed him to make an impact for the Saints in a variety of ways.

The Saints sitting back and snagging Gardner-Johnson in the fourth round felt like a massive steal at the time. Other teams missed the mark on this one, this guy should have been drafted much earlier.