Big Question Remains on Atlanta Falcons Defense Entering 2025 NFL Season

The Atlanta Falcons pretty much spent whatever offseason assets they had available to improve on defense. On paper, the organization was successful at adding edge rusher, safety and slot cornerback upgrades.

But according to CBS Sports' Josh Edwards, there's still one remaining spot that could be troublesome for the Falcons defense -- the No. 2 cornerback role opposite former first-rounder A.J. Terrell.

On Friday, Edwards named cornerback the biggest remaining need for the Falcons ahead of Week 1.

"Atlanta left little to chance this year when it came to investing in its pass rush. After initially drafting Georgia's Jalon Walker No. 15 overall, the Falcons sacrificed a 2026 first-round pick to move back up for Tennessee's James Pearce Jr. Those two players must rise to the occasion. The same is true of its young interior defensive line collection," wrote Edwards.

"A cornerback opposite A.J. Terrell is now the focal point with wide receiver also garnering consideration. The hope is that rookie Billy Bowman can provide some stability over the slot."

The Falcons drafted Bowman at No. 118 overall in the fourth round of the draft this past spring. That was after the team selected the two edge rushers Edwards mentioned -- Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. -- along with safety Xavier Watts.

Those four rookies along with free agent signees Leonard Floyd and Divine Deablo should play significant roles on the Falcons defense this season. But the team didn't address outside cornerback.

Terrell will continue to hold down one of those spots. With the possibility of an improved pass rush this season, Terrell has a greater chance of fulfilling his potential. Terrell has never made the Pro Bowl but was a second-team All-Pro selection in 2021.

Last season, Terrell posted six pass defenses with two interceptions in 17 games.

Opposite Terrell, the Falcons will again start Mike Hughes. The 28-year-old performed better last season according to the Pro Football Focus player grades. Based on those grades, Hughes performed best in coverage.

But he made few really impactful plays. Terrell had four tackles for loss with six pass defenses and zero interceptions.

With Terrell and Hughes as the team's starting cornerbacks last season, the Falcons were 22nd in pass defense and 31st in passing touchdowns allowed. The team was also 20th in net yards yielded per pass attempt.

The pass rush was a huge reason for those numbers. But the Falcons addressed edge rusher this offseason. The team "running it back" with the same cornerbacks made the position low-hanging fruit for Edwards' list.