FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — We are just over a week away from the start of Atlanta Falcons training camp, and there are a lot of storylines that will begin to unfold between the first camp practice and the start of the season.
Until then, we've got a few more position previews summarizing where things stand for each unit following the offseason. Today, the focus is on Atlanta's cornerbacks.
CORNERBACK
Position coaches: Jerry Gray (assistant head coach/defense), Justin Hood (secondary coach), Lance Schulters (defensive assistant)
Returning starters: A.J. Terrell | Mike Hughes | Dee Alford
Notable newcomers: Billy Bowman Jr. | Mike Ford Jr. | Keith Taylor
Rest of the roster: Natrone Brooks | Cobee Bryant | Lamar Jackson | Kevin King | Dontae Manning | Clark Phillips III
Offseason departures: Antonio Hamilton Sr.
3 key questions for Atlanta's cornerbacks
1. Who emerges as the starting nickel?
A strong argument could be made that the Falcons' biggest camp battle will take place in the slot. Dee Alford started a career-high 11 games for Atlanta in 2024 and is back on a one-year deal, but his play was inconsistent last season. The Falcons raised a few eyebrows early on Day 3 of the NFL Draft by selecting Oklahoma safety Billy Bowman Jr. after taking Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts in the third round, but their intentions soon became clear. Bowman will begin his professional career by giving Alford a run for his money at nickel corner.
Alford obviously has more experience at the NFL level, and his play in 2023 was worthy of an increased role last year. But the Falcons clearly have a vision for Bowman on this defense, enough to use one of just five picks on him. While action in minicamp was very limited, Bowman's personality popped and his competitive style is a fit for defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich.
2. How will Ulbrich use his cornerbacks
According to Next Gen Stats, the Falcons ran some form of zone on 77% of their coverage snaps, the sixth-highest rate last season. The Jets, where Ulbrich entered the year as defensive coordinator and ended it as interim head coach, were on the other end of the spectrum, running zone on 64.6% of coverage snaps, fewer than all but seven teams. The use of press coverage was even more glaring. Atlanta had the third-highest percentage of off-coverage snaps last year and provided an average cushion at cornerback of 6.8 yards to opposing players. New York played with an average cushion of 5.1 yards at cornerback and deployed press coverage at the eighth-highest rate.
How those two philosophies marry together will be one of the more fascinating trends to watch unfold in 2025. We'll get our first taste of what that could look like in about a week.
3. Can Mike Hughes put together an encore?
Darnell Mooney rightfully drew a lot of praise as Atlanta's No. 2 receiver last year, but on the other side of the ball, Hughes quietly had a superb season as the No. 2 corner. He allowed two touchdowns across 420 coverage snaps, per Next Gen Stats, and forced a tight-window throw on 21.8% of the passes in his direction.
That performance earned him a three-year deal from the Falcons this offseason. If Hughes can continue to play at the level he did last year, Atlanta's investment in the former first-rounder will be big for the defense.
Bonus: What does the depth look like?
I'm cheating here a little bit by adding a fourth question, but there's so much to talk about with this particular position group. The Falcons should feel comfortable with A.J. Terrell and Mike Hughes as the starters on the outside, but what about the guys behind them? Mike Ford Jr. and Keith Taylor were two veteran additions this offseason that could be backups at multiple spots. They should contend with Clark Phillips III for primary depth roles.
Then there are a few in-house guys the Falcons like and who have played well in spurts like Natrone Brooks and Lamar Jackson. Both should seriously compete and have tools the Falcons could like. A wild-card player is undrafted rookie Cobee Bryant, who is already well-known among the fan base but will need to make his name on the field.
