Atlanta Falcons secondary ranks among the league’s best headed into 2017 NFL season

The Atlanta Falcons secondary has been a work in progress for many years. That masterpiece which took a while to construct and tweak is now finished. The result? Arguably one of the league’s best secondaries.

This secondary somehow endured after star cornerback Desmond Trufant suffered a season-ending torn pectoral in week 9 last season. You could attribute that to many factors: luck, a collective effort by the entire defense, an historically amazing offense, or a combination of all three. But make no mistake, this is all part of head coach Dan Quinn’s plan. He’s executed his vision by bringing his guys on board and calling his shots. Now the finished product is downright scary. So scary, in fact, that All22 NFL’s Oliver Connolly just ranked the Falcons secondary second overall.

Desmond Trufant may be the best cornerback in the league [... but i]t’s not only Trufant, though. The group was electric without their best player. Dan Quinn’s cover-3 match system helps. It puts an emphasis on jamming receivers at the line of scrimmage, then dropping to read the quarterback. Length and speed are crucial. Atlanta has it in droves.

It is crazy to think about this secondary working in conjunction with this front seven, especially as the 2017 NFL season progresses. If the defense manages to stay healthy, and perhaps even if they don’t, this will undoubtedly be a year where the Falcons aren’t forced to rely on entirely on their offense to win games. What a time to be alive, Falcons fans.