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We all know that the Falcons are very good. Their defensive line and linebackers have been getting a ton of love for the first time in years, and the offense has been praised almost to the point of embarrassment.
I don’t know if you can say enough about the secondary, though. This is very obviously one of the most talented groups of cornerbacks and safeties the Falcons have ever put on the field, if not the most talented, and they have top-flight starters and quality depth. It’s one of the reasons the secondary was ranked second in the league by All22 NFL.
Now NFL.com has jumped into the fray, declaring the Falcons the fifth-best secondary in the league. Here’s that full article from NFL.com, which ranked four secondaries ahead of the Falcons. Click the link to see which ones, but here’s Atlanta’s excerpt:
The Falcons showcased an up-and-coming young defense with loads of talent. They only added to that group this offseason, drafting cornerback Damontae Kazee. And after suffering a season-ending injury in November, Desmond Trufant returns as one of the best off coverage corners in the league. Robert Alfordstepped up in a big way for the NFC champs with Trufant sidelined. I'm most excited to see how third-year pro Jalen Collins and Kazee fit into the mix. Kazee is one of my favorites and is going to be a sleeper in Year 1. These two are going to be fighting for a lot of time in the slot. Speaking of rookies, Keanu Neal had a helluva rookie season in 2016. He's an old-school safety who's going to be around for a long time.
I understand the NFL needs to see a little more of Neal, Kazee, Brian Poole, and Collins fare this year, and will want to see Ricardo Allen continue to improve, so this feels like a very fair ranking. It has the potential to be one of the two or three best, but like the rest of the defense, it hasn’t shown itself to be truly elite just yet. We’ll kick back and watch it get there, hopefully.
Where would you, an obviously unbiased person, rank the Falcons’ secondary?