It’s still too early to be certain about everything, but one thing already seems clear about Isaiah Oliver: If the Falcons’ new starting cornerback gets his hands on you, you’re probably jammed for good.
The Falcons’ brass may not have been thinking about a praying mantis when they drafted him in the second round in 2018, pulling from the University of Colorado a tallish and athletic young man who fits coach Dan Quinn’s mold at corner.
But that’s kind of what Oliver’s like. He’s physical.
Let’s call it rangy.
He’s big relative to the median of NFL corners at 6-foot and about 210 pounds (the average is about 5-11, 192), and he has long arms. It’s not every job description where that will bump you up a chart, but if you play for Quinn, that’s good. Especially since Oliver really seems a little taller than 6-foot.
So, the replacement for Robert Alford – who was silly fast for the Falcons before he was released in the offseason – is different. It’s like a tall mongoose replacing a roadrunner (who had a habit of interfering with receivers).
“He’s longer. One thing about Isaiah, he’s been blessed with a lot of height, a lot of length,” secondary coach Doug Mallory said. “I think he’s playing with better technique, better confidence Year 2 than last year. I think that just comes through experience and hard work.”
Yeah, that’s a thing about Oliver. It’s serious athletic ability. But what about his bible? Where did he come from?
Every professional athlete has crazy physical ability, big or small.
So, what’s the difference when they get to the big time?
Brainpower.
And after playing in 14 games last season as a rookie, he’s building on his 23 combined tackles and assists, seven pass breakups and one interception and working with it.
He said he knows the playbook better, and he knows better what to expect.
“Way better, definitely. It’s hard to say exactly, but just from the start of (spring practices), into training camp, you could definitely see a difference,” Oliver said.
The accumulation of knowledge is allowing Oliver to, “Play faster ... knowing what’s coming, and knowing situations helps you play faster. Knowing the playbook helps.”
Oliver had some DNA to begin with.
His father, Muhammad, played cornerback at Oregon and was competitive as a decathlete at collegiate and international levels.
Isaiah competed in the decathlon in high school and in his first two years as a collegian, scoring well. He won many running events and was no slouch in the shot put nor the discus.
Then, he played sparingly for two seasons at Colorado before a strong third season at Colorado.
Then, the Falcons drafted him in the second round in 2018.
When the team released Robert Alford last winter in what appeared a salary-cap move, Isaiah didn’t get a call saying you’re the man.
“They don’t really say anything. Obviously, Robert got let go, went to Arizona. That opened up a spot,” Oliver said. “There’s no call or reach out or anything like that. I mean I was just ready to come in and compete for the spot.”
And he’s won it by combining his physical skills with his mental abilities.
“He’s one of those guys who can take it from the meeting room and apply it on the field,” Mallory said. “He needs to work it and get his reps, but very smart. He’s able to digest what we install and carry it out on the field.”
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