FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris joked way back in training camp that cornerback Cobee Bryant was the most popular undrafted free agent he’d ever seen.
“I mean, my kids know him,” Morris said in August. “It’s unbelievable, all the stuff that he has and the accolades. But when you go back and watch the tape, you’re not shocked that he’s well known.”
When Bryant went all seven rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft without finding a home, he was a hot commodity on the open market because of everything he did at the University of Kansas. That included earning three consecutive first-team all-conference selections — becoming the first player in Kansas history to do so. Oh, and he had 13 interceptions, too. Can’t forget that.
Bryant signed with the Falcons shortly after the draft’s conclusion. Several teams had offers on the table, but Atlanta was the place Bryant chose. In fact, the Falcons actually used one of their top-30 visits on him prior to the draft, an action they believe went a long way in Bryant’s decision to join up.
He originally signed to the practice squad after cutdowns in August but was elevated to the active roster in November after the Falcons placed defensive back Billy Bowman Jr. on injured reserve.
Since then, Bryant’s live reps have only grown. That figures to continue with starting cornerback Mike Hughes already ruled out of this Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals. Hughes suffered an ankle injury last Thursday against the Buccaneers. Bryant stepped into his vacated spot and had a big job on his hands: Matching up with Mike Evans on Thursday Night Football, a “soon-to-be Hall of Famer,” per Morris.
“I think it is one of the coolest things in our game,” Morris said.
The head coach called back to an earlier moment that showed him and the coaching staff that Bryant was ready for an opportunity.
He was called up with a standard practice squad elevation prior to the Carolina game in Week 11. With that opportunity, he came up with a big third-down stop in Atlanta territory that set up a turnover on downs in the third quarter.
“At that moment, you knew he could go up and be a producer, so to speak,” Morris said.