How will the Falcons manage their depth at cornerback?

The AJC took a spin through the Falcons’ cornerback depth chart this morning, and one of the things that really stands out in that article is just how much talent the Falcons have at the position. It’s a genuine embarrassment of riches for a team not accustomed to having more than one or maybe two strong corners at a time.

You have Desmond Trufant and Robert Alford, both under long-term deals and locked in as starters. You have Brian Poole, who was hugely successful in his rookie season. Jalen Collins has proven to be solid, at worst, and carries a second round pedigree. You then have to find roster spots, to say nothing of roles, for the likes of Damontae Kazee, Deji Olatoye, C.J. Goodwin, Blidi-Wreh Wilson, and talented UDFAs Taylor Reynolds, Janoris Jones, and Quincy Mauger. This team is loaded at corner.

We know that Trufant, Alford, Poole, Collins and Kazee are locked into roles, though Kazee and perhaps Poole are due for some time at safety, as well. That leaves maybe one open spot on the roster and a couple of practice squad spots for all of these players to fight over

So how will they do it? My guess is that you’ll see C.J. Goodwin snag the sixth spot on the roster, given his considerable special teams value, and the Falcons will keep Olatoye (who was surprisingly good a year ago) and Reynolds on the practice squad. If it seems like overkill to keep eight cornerbacks hanging around, remember that this team loves defensive backs, can’t get enough of them, and the Falcons had to press on without Trufant for a large chunk of the 2016 season and the entire postseason. Reynolds and Olatoye are worth developing, too.

Long story short, this is a happy problem to have, and it’ll be worth watching who distinguishes themselves this summer as these guys fight over the spots that remain.