The Falcoholic
Atlanta returned much of its 2024 cornerback corps, and is hoping for better results from them and new addition Billy Bowman.
The Atlanta Falcons head into 2025 with a cornerback group that looks pretty similar to the one they fielded a year ago, which is enough to create some anxiety in the fanbase. After all, almost everyone except Mike Hughes had a down year in 2024 under Jimmy Lake and Raheem Morris, with missed tackles and coverage busts impacting far too many games.
With a change in defensive coordinator in the offing and one high-upside addition to the group, the Falcons may have one new starter, but they’re heavily counting on healthy, bounce-back campaigns more or less across the board. With major investments up front and at safety, that trust is an eyebrow-raising decision the Falcons must turn into one we laud as smart in hindsight.
Here’s the state of the position group after the draft.
Even during a down season, Terrell was Atlanta’s best cornerback, and he’s the uncontested top option here. We’d like to see Terrell cut down on his missed tackles—some of them were brutal in 2024—and make more plays, but his coverage work is consistently good-to-great and he should be here for many years to come. I’m not worried about him, even if I know he’ll be good for a handful of very aggravating moments every year.
Hughes is holding down the job opposite Terrell for at least the start of the season and likely the entire 2025 campaign. After a mediocre 2024, Hughes proved to be a capable option outside and was arguably the team’s most reliable tackler at corner, one of its more reliable coverage options, and a well-rounded starter outside of a couple of short-term injuries and struggles when he returned. He’s not a high end option, but Hughes is a quality cornerback who is still reasonably young, and another strong year will put him in a position to hold down the job for a couple more seasons. If he struggles, the Falcons will likely be shopping for a starter next offseason.
This is a four man competition, with two of those players less likely to win and the question of whether the team goes with a veteran stopgap or a rookie.
I’ll start with the least likely, Brooks, who has done nothing but play pretty well in his limited chances to this point. A physical player who has no problem delivering big hits, Brooks has shown canny coverage instincts and would have a real shot at this in a less crowded room. If he doesn’t win the nickel job, he’s likely ticketed for the practice squad again, where he’ll be terrific insurance.
Phillips, meanwhile, has not really played nickel in the pros. The Falcons talked a good game about giving him a shot there, but re-signing Alford and drafting Bowman...
