Saints’ Payton says Marshon Lattimore ‘tweaked’ his knee

METAIRIE, La. (AP) - New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton says first-round draft choice Marshon Lattimore is recovering from a minor knee injury and that it “won’t be long” before the cornerback returns to action.

Lattimore has not been able to practice since leaving during on-field drills at Saints training camp on Monday. The club had a day off on Tuesday and Lattimore was once again absent from practice on Wednesday, when Payton provided his update on the 11th overall pick out of Ohio State.

Payton says Lattimore, who was the first cornerback selected in last spring’s draft, does not have hamstring problems, something that plagued him at Ohio State. Payton describes the injury as a “tweak” of Lattimore’s knee.

The Saints are hoping Lattimore can help shore up a defense that has ranked 27th or worse the past three seasons.

___

For more NFL coverage: https://www.pro32.ap.org and https://www.twitter.com/AP_NFL