A.J. Terrell is in place as the Falcons’ top corner for 2024 and beyond, but the question of who would line up as the team’s other perimeter corner was an unanswered question until the close of the preseason. Head coach Raheem Morris confirmed Mike Hughes will open the campaign handling first-team duties. 
The veteran is set to take part in his second Falcons season, and he made 15 appearances last year. That included four starts and an uptick in playing time later in the campaign as Jeff Okudah saw his usage decline. Okudah is no longer in the fold, and Hughes spent the offseason competing for the CB2 spot with Clark Phillips III.
“That’s probably a Mike Hughes question, because I can only answer for what I’ve seen and what he’s done since I’ve been here,” Morris said when speaking about Hughes’ struggles in landing a permanent home in the NFL (via D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution). “I know as a former first-rounder that’s been in a lot of places that had a lot of high hopes for and love for throughout the draft process, and then getting a chance to come here and work with him.
“So, I can’t tell you what’s held him back, but I can tell you what he’s doing now – showing up in ball productivity, being around the ball and being in the right position… He’s done a nice job of doing a lot of things here.”
Hughes, 27, spent his first three seasons with the Vikings before being traded to Kansas City. His time with the Chiefs included a healthy campaign but it was not enough to land him an extended stay with the team. After a one-year spell with the Lions, the UCF product inked a $7MM Falcons pact in 2023. Hughes saw less playing time on defense than Phillips last season, but he will get the nod to begin the coming campaign.
Of course, Hughes has experience in the slot, and Morris confirmed he is an option to see extended time on the inside in 2024. That alignment would allow Phillips, a 2023 fourth-rounder, to be used on the perimeter. The presence of Dee Alford should keep Hughes primarily on the outside, though, and his performance this year will inform his value on a new Falcons pact or one sending him to another new team in the spring.