Louisville football saw their third former player be drafted in the 2025 NFL Draft, which comes with a glorious silver lining. Quincy Riley was selected in the fourth round as the No. 131 overall pick by the New Orleans Saints.
The former Cardinal lockdown defender will now join his former quarterback, Tyler Shough, as it appears the Saints are impressed with this 2024 Cardinals roster. Riley was one of the top cornerbacks in the nation in his last two seasons, and now he will look to make an immediate impact on the defense of the Saints.
Shough and Riley have the possibility to both start next season, as the Saints are high on both of these incoming Cardinals. The Saints are quickly emerging as one of the Cardinals' nation's favorite NFL teams, as they just teamed up with Louisville's two elite playmakers from last season.
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The 6-foot-0, 195-pound defensive back had two incredible seasons with the Cardinals, but his 2023 season demonstrated his full potential. Riley was able to secure 49 total tackles and 1.5 tackles for a loss, and then led the team with 12 pass breakups and secured the second most interceptions with three.
The Saints' defense should be thrilled with this selection, as Riley will now join Rico Payton and Alontae Taylor in the Saints' cornerback room. The New Orleans fans appear to be extremely high on Riley and are claiming they have found their Marshon Lattimore replacement.
Riley was limited last season due to an ankle injury, but he was still able to put up impressive numbers in his final year with the Cardinals. He logged 10 games, starting in eight, and earned 33 total tackles, 21 were solo, three tackles for a loss, two interceptions, and one forced fumble. The glaring reason the Saints are so high on this elite corner is his speed and ability to break up passes. He ran a 4.48 40-yard dash and led the ACC in pass breakups with 13.
The former Cardinals earned accolades during his time at Louisville, where he secured honorable mention All-ACC in 2023 and Second-Team All-ACC in 2024.
Related: Every Louisville football player who declared for the 2025 NFL Draft
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