Falcons' Desmond Trufant Diagnosed with Concussion; Ruled Out vs. Bucs

Atlanta Falcons defensive back Desmond Trufant suffered a concussion Sunday that forced him to leave the team's Week 12 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

Kelsey Conway of the team's official site reported the news, noting Trufant was out for the rest of the game. Conway added that fellow cornerbacks Brian Poole and Robert Alford were also dealing with injuries picked up in the game.

Trufant, a first-round pick of the Falcons in 2013, has developed into a key cog in the Atlanta secondary. His steady growth resulted in a Pro Bowl selection in 2015. He added 31 combined tackles, four passes defended, two sacks and an interception in nine games last season.

The 27-year-old cornerback has also remained mostly durable throughout his NFL career. He appeared in all 16 regular-season games in each of his first three years with the Falcons. His 2016 campaign came to a premature end after nine games due to a torn pectoral, though.

If the latest ailment causes him to miss time, C.J. Goodwin becomes the next man up in what has become a thin depth chart.

Ultimately, the Falcons secondary has improved in 2017 after struggling to contain opposing passing attacks over the past few seasons. Losing Trufant could bring the problem back to the forefront and put even more pressure on the team's offense to put up a lot of points to win shootouts.