Atlanta adds another reserve to their cornerback group.
The Atlanta Falcons need to stock depth and they need help in their secondary, where poor tackling and blown assignments marred the 2024 season. They’ve added the former with cornerback Keith Taylor, and we’ll have to see if he can provide the latter.
The team announced the signing on Friday, bringing the 26-year-old into the fold at a position where the Falcons recently re-signed Mike Hughes and added Mike Ford. While Ford is primarily a special teamer who will only play cornerback in case of emergency, Taylor is a capable enough special teamer who might be relied upon more on defense if injuries pile up. That’s if he makes the team, naturally.
Taylor has had stints for the Panthers and Chiefs in his NFL career, which began as a fifth round pick for Carolina back in 2021. He’s faced the Falcons multiple times—though notably not last year with the Chiefs—and has a pair of pass deflections and several tackles. While Taylor has length at 6’3”, his career thus far has mostly been uneven in both coverage and run support, though he’s a capable enough tackler who has played both inside and outside.
The size and physicality may well be something he can build on for a team that was mostly stocked with veteran (read: over 30) depth a year ago, so it’s a worthwhile cheap flier. The Falcons clearly saw some potential here they liked, and Taylor will hope to develop in what’s likely to be the team’s no better than the fifth cornerback role when the dust settles on the offseason, should he make the team.
Give Taylor a warm welcome and we’ll see what he can do this summer.