Falcons moving Mike Hughes to nickel for 49ers game: ‘No clue’ if permanent

FLOWERY BRANCH — The Falcons have moved Mike Hughes, the team’s starting field cornerback for the past three seasons, inside to nickel corner entering a Week 7 bout with the 49ers.

During the individual period at practice Wednesday and Thursday, Hughes went through drills with Falcons nickels coach Ricky Manning while fellow slot corners Sydney Brown and Darnay Holmes watched and later followed suit.

Hughes confirmed to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution he’ll be “playing a little bit” at nickel Sunday against the 49ers. The Falcons have practiced without starting nickel Billy Bowman Jr., who has a hamstring injury, and their coaching staff informed Hughes of the move earlier this week.

“With the injuries we’ve got, we need people to help out, fill in,” Hughes told the AJC on Thursday. “It’s never a bad thing to have too much depth. I feel like I’m a guy who can do it all, so I’ve been helping out a little bit, seeing what we could do in there. Just trying to do what the coaches tell me to do.”

The 29-year-old Hughes added he’s unsure if he’ll get any snaps on the perimeter against the 49ers, and it remains to be determined if his move from outside to the slot is permanent.

“I have no clue,” Hughes said. “It could be a week-to-week thing or permanent. Who knows?”

Hughes has experience playing nickel, and although he’s said in the past he’s more comfortable on the outside, he said he’ll be ready to roll from the slot for as many snaps as necessary Sunday.

“If I had to go in there and play every snap at nickel, I know I wouldn’t be in there not prepared,” Hughes said. “We got some of the best coaches as far as having us prepared. So, I’m confident in that. Wherever I’m at on the field, I’m definitely pretty confident, because I trust these guys to get me prepared, and with the routine I have getting myself prepared, I feel like I’ll be good.”

Hughes has struggled on the perimeter through six starts this season.

The ninth-year veteran has allowed 394 passing yards, the most in the NFL, according to Next Gen Stats. He’s been targeted 38 times, tied for the eighth-most leaguewide, and he’s given up 25 receptions, tied for the fifth-highest mark. Hughes has a coverage EPA — expected points added from all targets — of 21.4, the third-highest ranking in the league.

“I think it’s went solid,” Hughes said of his season. “Always room to grow. As a competitor, there’s always plays out there that you want back, and that’s probably kind of where I’m at right now. But overall, I’m a team guy, so all that matters to me is wins and losses.”

When asked about Hughes’ struggles Monday, Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski didn’t commit to starting the New Bern, North Carolina, native at corner this week.

“We’ll work through all those things this week,” Stefanski said. “Obviously, Mike’s a vet that we’re counting on. These are tough matchups, and we can always look at things that we can do better, certainly, as we design the defense and those types of things.

“We’ll always look at what we can do better, but bottom line is we expect a lot from our corner position.”

The Falcons have no shortage of options to start at corner. A.J. Terrell, who’s missed the past four games with a groin injury, returned to practice Wednesday, as did his replacement, C.J. Henderson, who didn’t play in Week 6 against the Chicago Bears after suffering a groin injury the week before in a loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

Rookie cornerback Avieon Terrell, a second-round pick and A.J.’s younger brother, made his first career start at outside corner Sunday versus the Bears. He allowed only one catch, for four yards, according to Next Gen Stats, and has performed well in snaps both in the slot and on the perimeter.

Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich referred to Hughes as a “top-line starter” last week, but he acknowledged Terrell is emerging, too. Ulbrich has been pleased with Terrell’s ability to play inside and outside, but he feels the 21-year-old’s long-term future is at field corner — the same position Hughes has long held.

“My instinct says corner because I think that’s where his true worth will be, because I really believe he’s got some high-end, especially, field corner stuff to him,” Ulbrich said Oct. 2. “His ability to play off, transitioning out of breaks, his instincts, his toughness, his ball skills, all those things will come into play. It’s been a really cool voyage so far.

“The future’s bright because of the ability, obviously, but also the approach and the daily attitude. He’s wired the right way, just like his brother.”

Although Hughes worked with the nickel corners during individual periods, the Terrell brothers and Henderson were the first three in the order for cornerback drills.

Stefanski didn’t rule out any of the Falcons’ injured players returning to action Sunday against the 49ers. Henderson told the AJC he’ll be good to go, and Ulbrich said A.J. Terrell has looked “good” in practice.

“He’s always gonna try to play,” Ulbrich said. “He’s got a level of toughness, especially from the corner position, that’s pretty exceptional. So, he’s gonna fight his butt off to be ready. Hopefully he will be. We’ll see. At the same time, we’re also not going to be irresponsible with him by any means because he’s so important for what we do going forward for the long run.”

Terrell has started all 95 of his career appearances, and Ulbrich dubbed him the “best boundary corner in the NFL.” Henderson has also largely played on the boundary, which lends itself to taller, longer corners because they’re more often asked to press opposing receivers.