Falcons CB A.J. Terrell has had a meteoric rise in his first two seasons in Atlanta, being voted as a second-team All Pro in 2021 while putting together an incredibly impressive highlight tape.
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While some may look at Terrell's ridiculous numbers in 2021, allowing only 29 catches and 200 yards the entire season, and think they show how impressive he was, others point to the overall rank of the Falcons pass defense as a sign that Terrell isn't as dominant as some may perceive.
The Falcons made a few changes to the secondary heading into the 2022 season and along with optimism of growth from young players, expect the defensive back group to play a larger role in improving the overall defense.
Beyond just adding CB Casey Hayward in free agency to play opposite Terrell, the Falcons are also expecting 2021 2nd Round pick Richie Grant to take a big step forward at Safety.
"If I look at the Falcons secondary this year, I think it's been an upgrade in Casey Hayward himself," says John Fricke. "You look at the safeties, if Richie Grant and Jaylinn Hawkins ascend to starting roles and impact the team from a safety standpoint that's really going to make that secondary into one of the better ones in the league. It has the potential to be a pretty good secondary."
In what could be a huge season for Terrell, one where he legitimately could join the discussion as best corner in the NFL, having some help in the secondary would be a big boost to him individually and to the defense as a whole.
