2019 Atlanta Falcons Roster Review: Cornerbacks

Desmond Trufant's injuries led to a disappointing season from the Falcons' cornerback unit

In a word, the Atlanta Falcons’ secondary in 2019 was: bad.

Atlanta’s pass defense finished 22nd in the league, according to Pro Football Reference.

Their top corner, Desmond Trufant, finished 32nd in the league among all cornerbacks, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF) with a coverage grade of 70.3. Trufant finished the year with 18 tackles, 13 solo, a tackle for a loss and a career-high four interceptions in nine games. He battled a forearm and turf toe injuries during the year. It was the fewest number of games he’s played in a season since 2016. His best performance in the pick category was the Sunday Night week two matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles. With a high cap hit again in 2020, the Falcons may search for a way to restructure his deal or move on from him altogether. 

The Falcons’ second-leading cornerback was Blidi Wreh-Wilson, who ranked 58th in the league, according to PFF with a coverage grade of 64.0. In 14 games and two starts, he had 24 tackles, 20 solo and seven pass deflections. His season-high for tackles was eight against the L.A. Rams on Oct. 20. He also had four pass deflections in the upset win at San Francisco. Wreh-Wilson lined up in the slot for much of the season. 

The third, and final Falcon cornerback in the top 100, was Isaiah Oliver. PFF ranked Oliver No. 80 in the league. Starting in all 16 games, Oliver finished the year with 61 tackles, including 49 solo takedowns, 11 pass deflections and a forced fumble.

Rookie Kendall Sheffield struggled throughout the season, ranking No. 109 by PFF. In 16 games and 11 starts, he finished the season with 43 tackles, 30 solo, three pass deflections and a forced fumble. He was thrown into the ring perhaps before he was entirely ready to contribute following the injury to Trufant. 

The Falcons gave up 3,918 passing yards in 2019, just one more yard allowed than the Cincinnati Bengals. The team ranked 21st in the league with a total of 12 team interceptions and 28th with 57 pass deflections. Atlanta also finished in the bottom five of the league for quarterback hits, so the defensive struggles were not all on the secondary.