Falcons Training Camp 3 To Watch: Cornerback
Apart from A.J. Terrell garnering second-team All-Pro honors, the Atlanta Falcons' cornerback room didn't provide much to write home about in 2021. The group finished in the bottom half of the league in passing yards allowed, including a 28th-place finish in completion percentage allowed.
The starter opposite Terrell was Fabian Moreau, who left for the Houston Texans in free agency. Isaiah Oliver was penciled in as the starting nickel and performed well early before suffering a season-ending knee injury.
Due to Oliver’s injury, the Falcons had to rely on rookies Darren Hall, Richie Grant and Avery Williams in the slot down the stretch. The nickel spot looks much different now, with Grant competing for a starting spot at safety and Williams now on the offensive side of the ball, though Oliver re-signed, and Hall is still in the picture.
Entering the offseason looking for a running mate alongside Terrell, Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot signed veteran corner Casey Hayward to a two-year, $11 million contract. Hayward, 32, has a pair of Pro Bowl's and All-Pro's to his name. The Falcons also added CFL star Dee Alford and veteran NFL free agents Mike Ford and Teez Tabor, among others.
Now loaded with one of the top duos in the league and an intriguing storyline at nickel, the Falcons' cornerback room is arguably the strongest unit on the team.
Here are three players to watch in training camp and throughout the 2022 season.
Isaiah Oliver
Following a strong finish to the 2020 season after moving from the outside to nickel, Oliver had significant momentum entering 2021 in the fourth and final year of his rookie contract. He began the campaign in good form, starting three of the first four games, and posting three passes defended and one forced fumble.
Unfortunately for Oliver, his season ended prematurely from a knee injury in Week 4. However, he impressed Atlanta’s new regime enough to warrant a one-year contract and a second chance to improve his own stock entering round two of free agency.
Oliver’s skill set appeals to defensive coordinator Dean Pees for the same reasons it does for head coach Arthur Smith: he can blitz, cover, and play zone. This versatility is essential for Pees’ defense to succeed, but perhaps isn’t the biggest ability Oliver will need to bring to the table in 2022: availability.
If Oliver is able to stay on the field, he'll need to prove he's the same player he was before the injury. Yet to participate in any of the offseason program, when Oliver returns to action is still a question mark. Ideally, training camp reveals positive indications regarding all of the unknowns surrounding Oliver's play, and he's able to slide right back into the starting nickel position.
Darren Hall
A 2021 fourth-round pick out of San Diego State, Hall played in 14 games with one start, totaling 27 tackles, two tackles-for-loss, three passes defended and one sack during his opening act in Atlanta, largely playing the nickel after Oliver's injury.
Hall, 22, will enter year two with a wealth of knowledge under his belt and confidence stemming from a strong finish to the season. Hall did most of his damage from Week 11 on, drawing his lone start in Week 17.
With the second year often entailing the biggest jump in ability, Hall has a chance to continue keeping his arrow pointing upward. If Oliver is unable to start training camp on time, Hall will likely receive the majority of the first-team reps at nickel.
Even if Oliver is healthy, Hall's ability to play both inside and outside should mean he has the No. 4 corner spot locked down. Still, Hall is a talented player who flashed down the stretch, and if he's able to break out in his second season, will only add to Atlanta's stout cornerback room.
A.J. Terrell
If Hall is looking for a mentor, not only to model his game after but for motivation to take a big jump in year two, look no further than Terrell. Now 23, the former Clemson Tiger had a solid rookie campaign in 2020 after being the final first-round pick of the last regime but took his game to a different level in 2021, establishing himself as one of the game's best corners.
The challenge for him in year three is proving last season wasn't a fluke. Terrell's traits and game-by-game dominance are clear indicators that he's here to stay but posting another season with similarly outstanding performances will only cement his status among the league's best.
The common talking point among doubters of Terrell is his lack of experience shadowing receivers. For the most part, Pees assigned Terrell to play the boundary, or short side, in Atlanta's defense, but allowed his star cover corner to shadow Buffalo Bills All-Pro wideout Stefon Diggs in the season's penultimate game, with the results proving he's more than capable.
Firmly one of the faces of Atlanta's franchise, Terrell will be heavily relied upon as a leader and playmaker as the Falcons try to change their current trajectory. Suddenly entering his third and final season before Atlanta can pick up his fifth-year option and put a contract extension on the table, Terrell is primed for another outstanding season, along with the rest of the Falcons' secondary.
