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nt wasn’t a massive surprise Black Keanu Neal Jersey , especially once Andy Levitre went down. The defensive line was going to be dependent on Vic Beasley and Takkarist McKinley taking real strides forward, and when they didn’t, that unit predictably suffered. What happened at cornerback, however, was legitimately surprising to me. The Falcons capped off 2018 with a solid season from Desmond Trufant with some brutal lows, arguably the worst season of Robert Alford’s career, a mixed-but-decent year for Brian Poole and a largely forgettable rookie season for Isaiah Oliver. For a position group that was healthy pretty much all year and had a lot of success in 2016 and 2017, that was highly disappointing and unexpected, and it contributed to the team’s lackluster defense all year long.You can certainly blame the loss of both starting safeties, which put more pressure on the corners from a communications and play perspective, but that’s not the whole story. That’s why Thomas Dimitroff was very candid about the team’s desire to invest in cornerback again in the draft, and it’s why we should expect some shakeups at the position. Let’s dive in and see who is available and how things might shake out.Free agencyLet’s start with an assumption, one that we’ve talked about endlessly already and that I’m not particularly looking forward to. The Falcons are going to cut Robert Alford unless they can significantly alter his contract, and I’m guessing Alford will (rightly) feel he can land another large contract on the open market. He’s probably gone, though increasingly I’m hopeful he will not be. That leaves a gap Womens Calvin Ridley Jersey , even if Isaiah Oliver is ready to step in and Damontae Kazee dabbles at cornerback, because the Falcons have also not gotten above-average coverage out of Brian Poole for some time. Poole is an extremely useful player and will be back in Atlanta this year, but he may not prove to be the team’s full-time nickel cornerback. That means the Falcons are going to invest at cornerback.It’ll likely be in the draft, though. Since Dan Quinn arrived in Atlanta, they haven’t made cornerback a free agent priority, likely due to the presence of Trufant and Alford and a desire to get his own guys in the door. With Alford’s salary coming off the books, I don’t imagine that will change.Your likeliest signings are probably players who can round out the back end of the depth chart. Blidi Wreh-Wilson has done nothing in his limited opportunities in Atlanta but play very well, and he deserves to return as the team’s fourth or fifth cornerback, if he desires to do so. If the Falcons want to bring in someone who more closely fits the length and physicality DQ loved in Seattle and appeared to target with the selections of Jalen Collins and Oliver, he could swing for the fences a bit more and get someone who could likely beat out Oliver this year, like Pierre Desir or Eric Rowe. But I’d be willing to bet we’ll see either BWW again or a similarly inexpensive free agent option to fill in as the nominal fifth cornerback.The draftThis is where you can expect to see some action. It’s be surprised—and depending on the player and who is available, angry—to see the Falcons use a first round pick on a cornerback. They may well do so on the second or early third day of the draft, however, and it’s worth asking who that player might be.If it’s the second day, Penn State’s Amani Oruwariye or Clemson’s Trayvon Mullen would seem to offer the kind of length and physicality that would cause Dan Quinn’s eyes to turn into cartoon hearts. If it’s on the third day Calvin Ridley Jersey White , we’re not going to have a good feel for their interest for a bit, but they shouldn’t lack for options in a class Thomas Dimitroff and Quinn seem to like. Given their habits when it comes to acquiring cornerbacks since 2015, I’d be heavily on a draft selection, and I’d also bet heavily on it being someone that the Falcons can pair with Oliver in the future. The preferred outcomeI really like Isaiah Oliver and think he’ll pan out, but it’s legitimate to be wary of how the team has fared in the draft with cornerbacks under Dan Quinn, given that Jalen Collins (second round) and Akeem King (seventh) really haven’t panned out, and Damontae Kazee has chiefly been a safety for the Falcons to this point. I’d like to think they could lean heavily on Oliver but don’t know it for certain. So my ideal scenario might surprise you a bit, but here it is.The Falcons draft a player late that they like and give him a year or two to develop, and they find a way to keep Robert Alford around. Alford either returns to form, which would mean the Falcons would be right back to having a high-quality secondary, or his veteran savvy and ability make him a great locker room presence for Oliver and the new rookie, as well as a high-end reserve. Blidi Wreh-Wilson fills out the roster as a sixth cornerback and break-in-case-of-emergency option at the position. I don’t think the Falcons will just move ahead with Alford’s contract as is, as I’ve suggested, but I’m hopeful they can work something out. The likely outcomeThe Falcons move on from Alford, given his cap charge and 2018 https://www.falconslockerroom.com/authentic-calvin-ridley-jersey , and draft a cornerback between rounds 2-4. They bring back Blidi Wreh-Wilson and roll forward with Desmond Trufant, Oliver, Poole, the rookie, Wreh-Wilson and Kazee as their six guys (using only five roster spots) at the position. If Oliver and the rookie pan out, they’re in great shape, but things get pretty hairy in this scenario if that does not happen. Fact: The Falcons draft can be totally unpredictable."Expect the Falcons to address their cornerback group and with that in mind, I present one of my favorite prospects in this class. It’s an important year for Falcons head coach Dan Quinn and you can say that he’s all in. Taking over the defensive coordinator role for the Falcons, Quinn has his sights set on improving a defense that was banged up last season but ranked 25th in scoring defense and 28th overall. One position that will most definitely get more than enough attention if they went that way is the cornerback spot. The position is one of the better ones in the NFL Draft but the Falcons may have more pressing needs to take a cornerback early, with the position only recently gaining steam among fans and draft analysts as a possibility. If they wanted to wait until late on day two or early on day three, I have a prospect in mind that fits the bill for what the Falcons are looking for. Sean Bunting Scouting Report Height: 6’1 Weight: 195 pounds Career stats: 104 total tackles, nine interceptions, 15 pass deflections, four forced fumbles Games watched: 2018 vs. Kentucky, 2018 vs. Toledo Womens Takkarist McKinley Jersey , 2018 vs. Akron, 2018 vs. Buffalo Strengths: Despite Central Michigan’s woes as a team in 2018, Bunting was a bright spot as he earned first team All-MAC honors. Bunting earned an invitation to the NFL Combine and received positive reviews after posting a 4.42 40-yard dash, a 41.5 inch vertical, and looking good in position drills. Bunting possesses good size and a lengthy 76 3⁄4 inch wingspan. That length comes in handy when tasked to play press man coverage as well as off coverage in Cover 3. His wide receiver experience in high school comes in handy, as Bunting is able to recognize route concepts quicker than a number of cornerbacks at this stage in their career. Bunting shows the capacity to flip his hips in transition and get vertical when need be against speedier receivers while also being rarely out of place because of his short area quickness. He also is not shy at getting physical at the line of scrimmage and provides a nice punch to get an initial jam on the receiver. When he’s able to clearly track the ball, Bunting shows the ability to disengage from coverage slightly to make a play on the ball and attacks it. Bunting can also be a useful weapon in run defense and will lay a shoulder in bringing down a ball carrier. Weaknesses: While he timed very well at the Combine in the 40-yard dash, film shows a prospect who plays with mid-4.5 speed. Overall, Bunting has good ball skills as a corner but Bunting must improve his ball tracking process at the next level. His overall aggressive style has the potential to carry a tag of being “grabby” in the NFL, something fans tend to hate on sight. Bunting must learn to control the hand fighting throughout the duration of the play. A little polish is also needed on his footwork as it appears to look choppy at times. It will also be interesting to see how much improvement can occur in regards to his overall play strength. Conclusion: With a pair of starting cornerbacks in Desmond Trufant and Isaiah Oliver plus the likelihood of Damontae Kazee being inserted as a nickel corner in the slot, the Falcons are not necessarily in need of an early round corner that can be a rookie starter. But what they are in need of is quality depth at the position. Enter Bunting, a very solid corner with size and length that with proper coaching, can be a starting caliber corner down the line for the Falcons. Bunting saw time at both boundary corner spots at Central Michigan and even on occasion in the slot. In due time, Bunting can be worthy of being inserted on the inside because of his fluid change of direction skills and instincts but his talents provides flexibility for the Falcons secondary. The 6’1” corner had a knack for creating a timely turnover or two with the Chippewas and that will fit right in with the Falcons. There really is nothing special about Bunting but that does not mean he does not have a notable ceiling. It is not far-fetch for the Falcons to target Bunting late on Day 2 or early on Day 3 as his presence can upgrade a Falcons cornerback group the moment he steps onto the practice field in Flowery Branch.