Falcons DB 'Has Taken Another Step' with Large Role Looming

Atlanta Falcons cornerback Dee Alford made a large leap this offseason, according to assistant head coach/defense Jerry Gray.

Atlanta Falcons cornerback Dee Alford has enjoyed a growth-filled offseason. / Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

As Jerry Gray ponders the question, his mind goes back to the past.

Gray, the Atlanta Falcons' assistant head coach/defense who also helps with the secondary, mentally returned to his three-year stint as the defensive backs coach of the Green Bay Packers.

It's May 22, and Gray is preparing his thoughts on third-year Falcons cornerback Dee Alford - but to aptly describe Alford, Gray feels a comparison is necessary: Packers corner and All-Pro return specialist Keisean Nixon.

Gray's last year in Green Bay - 2022 - was Nixon's first. When Gray left, Nixon began working hands-on with several coaches, including quality control coach Justin Hood, who the Falcons signed as their secondary coach this spring.

The result, Gray said, is a two-year process of continual growth for Nixon - one in which Gray feels has been mirrored by Alford.

"Good football player, he really hadn't done a lot, then all the sudden you get thrown on the scene," Gray last week. "He started coming in early, getting film, understanding what he's supposed to do. The first year, he was okay, then last year, I thought Keisean took a big step under Justin."

Alford followed a similar path. He went undrafted out of Tusculum in 2020, instead signing with the Canadian Football League's Winnipeg Blue Bombers. His lone season in Winnipeg resulted in CFL All-Star honors, and he departed for the Falcons during the 2022 season.

The 5-11, 177-pound Alford entered training camp as a little-known player. He left as one of the summer's best stories - and with a spot on Atlanta's 53-man roster.

Yet once the season began, Alford was no longer in the spotlight. He appeared in 16 games, missing a Week 7 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals with a hamstring injury, but played only 23 percent of the Falcons' defensive snaps.

The Griffin, Ga., native ended his opening campaign with 25 tackles, seven passes defended and one interception - a game-sealing takeaway in Week 4 against the Cleveland Browns.

Alford entered the 2023 offseason seeking a larger role and found it; he was the Falcons' starting nickel out of camp, a role he held for the first 13 games.

But over the season's final four contests, Alford saw his snaps dwindle along with Atlanta's season. He played 10 snaps in a Week 17 loss to the Chicago Bears, his lone defensive action during the four-game stretch, while Mike Hughes took over the starting job at nickel.

The 26-year-old Alford, who also returned 20 punts for the Falcons last season, compiled 41 tackles, two tackles for loss and six passes defended.

Due to his apparent late-season defensive benching, Alford started this offseason at a crossroads. Under a new staff led by Hood, head coach Raheem Morris and defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake, Alford has gained direction - and Gray, who's back for his second season in Atlanta, thinks it's a positive one.

"I think Dee Alford has taken another step," Gray said.

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For Alford, such a step has little to do with his physical traits. Gray often tells Alford he's the quarterback of the defense and needs to act that way, encouraging him to make calls and put others in better positions to make plays.

After a year together, Gray knows how to push the right buttons on returning players like Alford. Such conversations do exactly that, and Gray feels he's challenged Alford to know what everybody else on the defense is doing and help them with their roles, which eliminates selfishness within his own job.

And by all accounts, Alford has risen to the occasion.

"You need to take that next step, and the way you take it is not going to be running faster, it's going to be using your brain faster," Gray said. "I think that's the step he's taking right now."

Alford spent part of this spring playing basketball, something Gray encouraged each of his defensive backs to do to help train their eyes. Alford plays with a pair of second-year corners in Clark Phillips III and Natrone Brooks at a local gym; the trio recently took down a squad comprised of players on Georgia State's men's basketball team.

Hitting the hardwood has several translatable aspects for secondary players, with Alford noting rebounding equates to high pointing the football and playing defense resembles staying in front of receivers in man coverage and off technique.

But it also helps communication, be it calling out screens or barking play calls. As the Falcons near the end of OTAs, Alford finds himself as a key communicator on the back end of Lake's defense, which he beleves is the biggest difference from last year to this year.

The task itself isn't a drastic change for Alford, but it's nevertheless extreme responsibility, and he's embracing the challenge - because he recognizes how his voice can take Atlanta's defense to another level.

"Every play, I'm communicating with the linebackers, the safeties, the D-line, just different guys all around," Alford said last week. "We're all just coming with the mindset of, 'It's a simple defense.' We want to be able to line up fast, play fast, play free and play physical.

"When players are able to get lined up and not think, you're able to play fast, and then you'll see more plays be able to be made."

The Falcons were expected to add to their secondary in the NFL Draft but didn't; Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot said they wanted to, but the timing never worked out.

As such, Alford's back in a similar spot to last year - competing with Hughes and others for the nickel job. Morris mentioned at the league owners meetings in March that Alford may also see some time at safety.

But no matter where he aligns, Alford figures to be a prominent member of Atlanta's secondary. He feels support from the front office and coaching staff, influenced by the decision to pass on competition during the draft.

Alford said he doesn't pay much attention to those things, but it still left a positive mark on him. He's committed to not letting down any of the decision makers and intends on getting better and adding to the foundation that's been built.

Now, Alford's focus is on helping the Falcons' secondary take another step, not only his own personal progression - precisely the selfless mentality Gray's preached this spring.

"Just being on the same page," Alford said. "Just being free, being able to communicate and say one thing to this guy and depend on him to be there. Just continuing to build on trust that we were building on last year and move that trust going into Year 3.

"If we do all those types of things, everything will fall into place and more plays will be made from the secondary."

As Alford grows, the Falcons' secondary will, too - and if OTAs are any indication, Atlanta's backline is trending favorably as the summer rolls forward.

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