
De'Shawn Rucker is a cornerback prospect who transferred from Tennessee to USF, appearing in 48 college games with one interception, 12 pass breakups, and 3.5 tackles for a loss.
De'Shawn Rucker has met with the Atlanta Falcons, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Kansas City Chiefs, New York Jets, and Denver Broncos.
The Falcons aim to enhance their secondary depth, as having a strong defensive backfield is crucial in the modern NFL for building a competitive team.
The Atlanta Falcons are considering cornerback prospect De'Shawn Rucker ahead of the 2026 NFL draft, emphasizing the importance of depth in their secondary. Rucker, who transferred from Tennessee to USF, has met with several teams including the Falcons, Bucs, and Chiefs.
Upon first glance, it might seem like the Atlanta Falcons don't have a need at cornerback going into the draft. However, the truth is teams can never have too much depth in their secondary in the modern NFL - and great teams get there by building on their strengths, not by neglecting them.
That's how the Philadelphia Eagles constructed their lethal defensive line, how the Seattle Seahawks got their awesome secondary, and so on.
The Falcons can follow suit by continuing to build up their defensive backfield. One name to watch is that of USF cornerback De'Shawn Rucker, who told NFL Draft on SI that he's met with the Falcons, as well as the Bucs, Chiefs, Jets and Broncos.
Rucker (six-foot, 185 pounds) put in three years at Tennessee before transferring to USF prior to the 2024 season. All together, he's appeared in 48 college games, totaling one interception, 12 pass breakups and 3.5 tackles for a loss.
The biggest selling point for Rucker is his ability to play any spot on the back end, offering depth on the boundary, in the slot and at safety. On tape, Rucker uses his plus athleticism (8.41 RAS) combined with a physical style.
If the Falcons are truly enamored with Rucker, they can probably wait until Day 3 to target him.
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Atlanta Falcons looking at USF cornerback De'Shawn Rucker
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