Falcons Work Out 9 Players, Including Ex Rams Starting CB, 2 First Round WRs

From a quartet of well-known receivers to a cornerback familiar with head coach Raheem Morris, the Atlanta Falcons worked out an interesting group of nine players Tuesday.

Former Los Angeles Rams cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon worked out for the Atlanta Falcons on Tuesday. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Falcons filled out their 53-man roster with a new signing Tuesday but are still turning over every stone of talent.

Atlanta worked out nine players Tuesday, according to an NFL-issued statement, including former Los Angeles Rams starting cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon and a pair of receivers once drafted in the first round in Phillip Dorsett and John Ross.

Dorsett was the Indianapolis Colts' first-round choice in 2015, while Ross, the former 40-yard dash recordholder with a time of 4.22 seconds, went to the Cincinnati Bengals in 2017.

The Falcons also worked out former Kansas City Chiefs receiver Byron Pringle, ex third-round pick and Arizona Cardinals wideout Andy Isabella and a quartet of tight ends -- Jody Fortson, Gerrit Prince, Zaire Mitchell-Paden and Alec Holler.

While the receivers include several notable names, perhaps none of the nine players are more interesting than Witherspoon. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound corner spent last season with the Los Angeles Rams and played under now-Falcons head coach Raheem Morris, then the Rams' defensive coordinator.

In 2023, Witherspoon started all 17 games for the Rams and matched his career high with three interceptions. Additionally, he set new career highs with 52 tackles, three tackles for loss and 14 passes defended.

"He's brought so much with his technique and his question asking and what he learned from us and what we continue to learn from him," Morris said about Witherspoon last October. "All of those things will go hand in hand when you got a guy that’s got as much experience as he has, has been through some different experiences like he has been.

"It's been a couple different places, had some success, had some failures, and been able to bounce back and (is) playing really well for us."

The Falcons started A.J. Terrell, Mike Hughes and Dee Alford at cornerback in Sunday's 18-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, while Clark Phillips III rotated in behind Hughes for two series in the second half. Hughes led Atlanta with three tackles for loss.

As the Falcons gear up for a Week 2 primetime matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football, their roster now holds 53 players for the first time since trading quarterback Taylor Heinicke to the Los Angeles Chargers on Aug. 28.

But it's possible Atlanta's roster has more change coming.