1. Mike Hughes
Mike Hughes turned from a fringe roster piece to a quietly great starting corner in the 2024 season. As a reminder, Hughes was not only not a part of Atlanta's starting lineup last season but a depth piece who returned punts. Hughes was looked at more consistently as a special teams piece than an Atlanta defensive starter.
While it hasn't been perfect for the veteran, the leap forward in play is beyond impressive. A trio of A.J. Terrell, Mike Hughes, and Dee Alford have been consistently great when given the needed support from Atlanta's front seven. It is fun to imagine what this group might accomplish together with a capable pass rush.
So much of what they do well is covered up by the fact opposing quarterbacks can stand in the pocket and wait. If the Falcons had a pass rush we would be talking about this Atlanta secondary as one of the best units in the league. That is not only because of Atlanta's duo at safety and the presence of A.J. Terrell. Mike Hughes deserves credit not only for his performance this season but turning around a career that looked to be nearing complete irrelevance.