1. Mike Hughes
At the start of the Atlanta Falcons offseason, both this site and others pointed to Mike Hughes as a likely roster cut. The corner was underwhelming when he managed to get on the field and Clark Phillips and Dee Alford seemed far ahead of him on the depth chart. Add in the struggles returning kicks in place of injured Avery Williams and there was little reason to believe the Falcons would bring Hughes back this season.
Not only did the Falcons bring the corner back they gave the veteran a chance to win a starting role. Hughes took full advantage and won the starting job opposite A.J. Terrell with Dee Alford as the slot corner. Clark Phillips would be the fourth option and backup for a myriad of roles.
In the middle of all the defensive struggles and frustrations, the job Hughes has done is going overlooked. Yes, there have been mistakes and off weeks for the corner. Still, going from a borderline roster piece to a valuable starting corner is as big of a step forward as you will find on this Atlanta roster. It is one of the few defensive wins that Raheem Morris and Jimmy Lake can claim.