Atlanta Falcons NFL Draft: Iowa State CB T.J. Tampa Day 2 Target?

With a need at cornerback, Pro Football Focus has named Iowa State's T.J. Tampa a best "fit" for the Atlanta Falcons on Day 2 of the NFL Draft.

The NFL Draft is less than two weeks away, prompting questions about what the Atlanta Falcons will do when they’re on the clock. 

Unless the Falcons have a surprise in store, the prevailing prediction in recent mock drafts suggests they’ll be honing in on an edge rusher on Day 1, where they currently hold the No. 10 overall pick. So, what comes next, assuming the Falcons go edge rusher in Round 1? 

Despite their heavy offensive investment this offseason in free agency, where they signed quarterback Kirk Cousins before surrounding him with weapons, with the signings of Darnell Mooney and Ray-Ray McCloud and the trade for Rondale Moore, they could still use their second-round pick to add another weapon. 

However, if the Falcons go by Pro Football Focus’s best Day 2 “fit” for them, their selection at No. 43 could see them go defense again and select cornerback T.J. Tampa. 

“Iowa State’s T.J. Tampa would bring length and a physical presence on the perimeter of Raheem Morris’ zone-heavy defense,” PFF writes. “He’s a ballhawk who forced 21 incompletions over the past two years.”

Iowa State defensive back T.J. Tampa stands for a photo during media day at Jack Trice Stadium in

Zach Boyden-Holmes/Des Moines Register /

According to PFF, the former Cyclone put together two strong seasons before entering the draft this year. They graded him at 83.1 in 2022 and 75.8 this past season. The former St. Petersburg, Florida, native did not workout at the NFL Scouting Combine due to a hamstring injury. However, he did participate in Big 12 Pro Day, where, according to Dane Brugler, he ran a 4.52 40-yard-dash time. 

This past season, Tampa played in 12 games for the Cyclones, totaling 44 tackles, three for a loss, two interceptions, and seven passes defended.

At 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds, his NFL.com player profile scouting report from Lance Zierlein compares him to Buffalo Bills cornerback Rasul Douglas. 

“Physical cornerback with long arms and an above-average ability to ruin catch tries when he’s in the vicinity. Tampa has decent closing burst but appears to lack true top-end speed,” Zierlein writes of Tampa. “He can charge up his press punch and does a nice job of staying connected to routes from trail technique.”

After last offseason’s trade for the underperforming former first-round pick, Jeff Okudah, the Falcons are once again in the market for an outside cornerback to pair with A.J. Terrell. After effectively being a one-year rental for the Falcons, Okudah signed a one-year deal with the Houston Texans after he played in 13 games for Atlanta before he was benched late in the year in favor of Clark Phillips. 

While the Falcons may believe in last year's fourth-round pick, Phillips, to be Terrell's outside cornerback partner, it would be good to add potential competition in Tampa.