2020 Atlanta Falcons Season Preview: Darqueze Dennard
After some shuffling during the offseason, the Falcons have some new faces in the cornerback room.
Former secondary staple Desmond Trufant is gone, and the team drafted A.J. Terrell in the first round to replace him. Despite the addition of Terrell, the front office decided to add depth at the position in the form of veteran slot cornerback Darqueze Dennard.
Dennard comes to the team after spending six seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, and is expected to add versatility to an upstart Falcons defense hoping to improve after an up-and-down 2019 campaign.
Dennard’s Career
Dennard started the 2019 season on the PUP list, which caused him to miss the majority of the season. He was activated in October 2019 and appeared in nine games, starting in five. In his nine games, he recorded 37 tackles, one tackle for loss, two quarterback hits and five pass deflections.
He has played 77 career games in six seasons, starting in 24. Dennard has never started more than nine games in a single season and has only played a full 16-game season once in his career. His best season came in 2017 when he had two interceptions, 85 tackles, two sacks and six passes defended.
2020 Outlook
Bringing Dennard into the fold gives the Falcons much-needed depth and experience. Off the field, Dennard will be expected to provide a veteran presence in the cornerback room, which ranks as one of the youngest in football.
The NFC South is loaded with talent at the receiver position, as well as at quarterback with Drew Brees and Tom Brady. The Falcons will need all the help they can get in the secondary, especially considering they'll play against Russell Wilson, Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes this season.
Should Dennard make the Week 1 roster, he will compete for a starting spot with Oliver, Terrell and Kendall Sheffield.
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