Falcons miss out on Pro Bowl cornerback in PFF's 2013 NFL redraft
Pro Football Focus' 2013 NFL redraft has Falcons take different path in Round 1
Back in 2013, the Atlanta Falcons used their first- and second-round picks to add two key members to the secondary. The team drafted cornerback Desmond Trufant in the first round, then landed defensive back Robert Alford in Round 2.
While neither player is headed for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, both played key roles during the team's run to the Super Bowl. Trufant made his only Pro Bowl appearance with the Falcons in 2015, while Alford started 76 games during his six seasons in Atlanta.
What would have happened if the Falcons went in a different direction during the 2013 NFL draft? Pro Football Focus released a 2013 redraft that has Atlanta missing out on Trufant and taking offensive lineman Justin Pugh.
Pugh notched 70.0-plus PFF overall grades in each of his first four NFL seasons, all with the Giants. His career also included a three-year stretch in Arizona (2019 to 2021) during which he earned strong 70.0-plus PFF pass-blocking grades. -- PFF's Max Chadwick, Dalton Wasserman and Trevor Sikkema
The Falcons would likely have been okay with landing Pugh, even if the 11-year NFL veteran never made a Pro Bowl during his playing career. However, you could argue the team needed defensive help more than an offensive lineman at that time, and it's impossible to know whether or not the Falcons would have still made the Super Bowl with Pugh.
Trufant, who spent his first seven seasons in Atlanta, finished his career with 14 interceptions, 89 passes defended, seven fumbles recovered and six sacks.
The Falcons did not bring back Trufant following the 2019 season. He went on to sign with the Detroit Lions in 2020. After his lone season in Detroit, Trufant spent his final year in the NFL playing for the New Orleans Saints and Las Vegas Raiders.
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