Falcons' Kendall Sheffield: Starts 11 games as rookie

Sheffield (ankle) recorded 43 tackles, three pass deflections and a forced fumble across 16 appearances for the Falcons in 2019.

The rookie from Ohio State saw an uptick in playing time while Desmond Trufant was inactive between Weeks 6 and 10 with a toe injury, and he continued to remain an integral piece after Trufant went down due to a season-ending forearm injury Week 14. Sheffield fielded just 46 total defensive snaps over the Falcons' first five games of 2019, but from Week 6 on, he averaged over 59 defensive snaps per contest, logging 11 straight starts before succumbing to an ankle injury in the finale. Though he was thoroughly battle-tested during his debut NFL campaign, Sheffield ranked as Pro Football Focus' 17th-worst coverage corner among 123 qualified players, while his performance against the run placed fifth worst at the position.