Dan Quinn: Dezmen Southward may play cornerback for the Atlanta Falcons in 2015

The Atlanta Falcons are in the midst of a complete reorganization of their corner back depth chart. Young phenom Desmond Trufant will anchor the group, but from there, it's anyone's guess. Both Robert Alford and Ricardo Allen remain under contract. The Falcons have options in free agency, including the option to re-sign Josh Wilson and/or Robert McClain. But what you maybe didn't expect is the possibility that 2014 draft pick Dezmen Southward could switch to corner back.

"I love the speed and the length, so we're going to try that versatility. Is he a safety? Is he a corner? We went back to look at his Senior Bowl tape where he also played corner so, I love the speed, I love the length and he's an interesting guy for us moving forward to see what unique stuff does he have and then try to put him in the best spot to work his skills."

Southward does have remarkable speed, clocking a 4.35 40 at his Pro Day. Combine that with his 42 inch vertical and relatively stout frame - it's like you have a smallish outside linebacker (the Falcons listed him at 6'2 and 210 pounds right after he was drafted) in a corner back's body. He played nickel back on occasion during his senior season at Wisconsin, so it's not a position he's completely unfamiliar with.

When the Falcons drafted him, Southward was considered a raw prospect with a so-so ceiling. His rookie campaign was nothing to write home about, which is not necessarily a knock on him. He played 257 defensive snaps, struggling at times (weeks 10, 12, and 14). But overall, he played replacement level football, and for an unproven rookie thrust into action, that's not half bad.

I wouldn't mind a transition to corner back for Southward, especially with Kemal Ishmael emerging a legitimate candidate to start next season. Your thoughts?