The Atlanta Falcons spent their draft resources on upgrading the defensive unit, using four of their five picks on that side of the ball. It wasn't until Round 7 that GM Terry Fontenot selected an offensive player. For a team that consistently struggled defensively over the last decade, making that a priority made a ton of sense.
Not only did they prioritize the defensive side of the ball, but the Falcons also aggressively pursued the players they had targeted. They made trades to move up and land James Pearce Jr. at the end of the first round and gave up a future draft pick to trade up to select Xavier Watts out of Notre Dame.
Another player the Falcons defensive coordinator, Jeff Ulbrich, wanted Fontenot to trade up for was Oklahoma defensive back Billy Bowman Jr. According to Sports Illustrated's Daniel Flick, Ulbrich was "urging" the Falcons' top brass to trade up, but Atlanta got lucky as Bowman fell into their lap at the No. 118 pick.
Bowman was considered one of the top safeties in the draft and was projected to be a top-100 selection. Everything coming out of the organization since that pick highlights how highly the Falcons think of him.
While this is exciting news for the Falcons, it doesn't bode well for the future of Dee Alford. The Falcons reportedly see Bowman as a nickel cornerback, putting Alford's role in jeopardy.
"Nickels need short space quickness. They need the ability to match guys in the slot -- obviously, they're going against typically the quickest receiver. So, he matches that profile perfectly."Falcons DC Jeff Ulbrich
For the first month of free agency, it didn't look like Alford was going to return to Atlanta, as the team opted against picking up his $3.2 million tender. The veteran defensive back had played a career-high 69% of defensive snaps for the Falcons but had received a career-low 58.2 grade on Pro Football Focus. Yet, the 27-year-old former undrafted free agent returned to Atlanta on a one-year deal.
With Clark Phillips III remaining a possibility in the slot as well, Alford may see his role significantly reduced next season.