ATLANTA — The Atlanta Falcons looked to bolster their secondary by taking Clemson cornerback A.J. Terrell with the No. 16 pick in the NFL draft Thursday night.
Following the release of top corner Desmond Trufant in a salary-cap move, the Falcons had an obvious need heading into the league's first virtual draft.
There was speculation that Atlanta would try to trade up to the No. 9 pick to grab the highest-rated college cornerback, Florida's CJ Henderson. But Jacksonville held on to that choice and grabbed Henderson, leaving Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff to look elsewhere.
Terrell, an Atlanta native who played at Westlake High School, wound up being the choice. He joins a youthful group that includes Isaiah Oliver and Kendall Sheffield, who were acquired in the last two drafts.
After drafting offensive linemen Chris Lindstrom and right tackle Kaleb Gary in the first round a year ago, it wasn't surprising the Falcons focused on defense coming off their second consecutive 7-9 finish.
Coach Dan Quinn saved his job with four straight wins to finish 2019. But the pressure is on Quinn and Dimitroff to make the playoffs this season.
