One of the biggest question marks for the Atlanta Falcons going into the 2025 season is the secondary. While A.J. Terrell and Jessie Bates are proven stars, the pieces around the veteran duo leave reason for concern. At safety, the Falcons are still weighing a trio of options, while the current favorites to start at corner are down to Mike Hughes, Dee Alford, and Billy Bowman. Hughes appears to be a lock on the outside, leaving one spot up for grabs between Bowman and Alford.
Still, the franchise had a healthy level of skepticism about the options and brought in C.J. Henderson as a potential surprise contributor. Early results have been promising, with Henderson showing a clear fit within Jeff Ulbrich's Atlanta defense. It is fair to begin to question exactly how big a role the veteran corner might be able to win.
Henderson started his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars after being selected 9th overall. After things didn't go as planned in Jacksonville, the corner spent time with the Panthers, Texans, and Steelers. Results continued to be up-and-down, causing each team to turn the page and leading to the veteran being a free agent so late in the year.
Morris says CB CJ Henderson has "elite movement" and intelligent enough to go out there quickly and gets reps despite only being here for a few days. #Falcons
— Marc Raimondi (@marcraimondi) August 20, 2025
Falcons CB Wasting No Time Making Clear Impression
Marc Raimondi reported that head coach Raheem Morris is already praising the corner. Morris pointed out "elite movement" and the defender's ability to quickly fold into the Falcons' defense despite being with the team for less than a week. If Henderson is going to make the team's roster and carve out a surprise role, this is exactly the type of impression the veteran needs to make.
Atlanta has a lot of options at both corner and safety, but it is important not to confuse options with proven depth. Both remain clear areas of concern for a defense that was unable to stop anyone at the end of the 2024 season. Both of Atlanta's final losses were due to overtime periods in which it appeared all too easy for the offense to march down the field and score the game-winner.
All of the offensive talent is in place for this to be an NFC contender. The concern remains the secondary, and if the new pass rush additions will have the desired changes. The arrival of Henderson offers some hope that perhaps a surprise answer is emerging in the final days of camp and preseason.