Falcons cornerback Desmond Trufant had his worst season yet in 2018. Trufant has rebounded extremely well, though. This year he is playing like a true elite cover cornerback. Unfortunately, the rest of the unit has not done nearly as well.
Isaiah Oliver, the team’s No. 2 corner, secured the team’s Week 2 win over the Eagles with a game-saving tackle but he’s gotten torched far too often in Atlanta’s first three games. With Trufant playing at an All-Pro level, opposing quarterbacks are wisely avoiding his side of the field and are targeting the less experienced Oliver.
Per Matt Karoly, Oliver has been targeted 23 times in 2019, more than double any other member of the Falcons secondary.
The team drafted Oliver in the second round in 2018. Oliver struggled at times as a rookie but he showed enough potential to make Atlanta feel comfortable enough to move on from Robert Alford.
Oliver is a gifted athlete that has all tools you look for in a modern NFL corner. However, even considering Oliver’s upside, the fact that quarterbacks are targeting him this often is not a good sign. Some setbacks should be expected, though. This week’s game will only be Oliver’s sixth career start and he deserves more time to develop.
However, with their best DB Keanu Neal out for the rest of 2019, the Falcons need Oliver and the rest to step up fast.
.png?w=600)
