Sporting News

Examining Every Position Group for the Atlanta Falcons

By Bryce Lewis,

6 hours ago

We are officially in the midst of training camp for the Atlanta Falcons . With training camp comes competitions for a starting job, contract holdouts, and even fights breaking out. For this Falcons team, however, they are simply hoping to turn their franchise around this year and they seem to have a relatively solid team – for the most part. We will look at every position group on both the offense and defense, and examine each to find out if some groups are stronger. So, without further ado:

Offense

Quarterback

Kirk Cousins, Michael Penix Jr., Taylor Heinicke

In case anyone has been living under a rock, Kirk Cousins left the Minnesota Vikings to sign with Atlanta on a four-year deal in early March this offseason. In April, the team used their eighth overall pick on Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. The only QB in this room that still remains from last year is Taylor Heinicke.

Having Kirk Cousins as the starter is promising for a team that hopes to have their offense scoring a lot of points, as Cousins has been a consistent top-15 QB across the league. Penix is waiting in the wings and should be able to electrify this team when it is his opportunity to take the keys under center. Taylor Heinicke wasn’t exactly reliable last season, as he made his own mistakes. Heinicke may not see a ton of playing time this year assuming Cousins stays fully healthy, but he will be ready in case of emergency.

This group is easily a massive upgrade from what the team had last season, so the expectations are undoubtedly high.

Overall Grade : A

Running Back

Bijan Robinson, Tyler Allgeier, Jase McClellan, Avery Williams

When new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson came into the fold this offseason, he gushed over Bijan Robinson ’s talents, telling media members that there’s nothing Robinson can’t do. Robinson should be able to show off his jaw-dropping skills in a massive way this upcoming season.

Robinson’s running mate – literally – is third-year veteran Tyler Allgeier who is a human bowling ball when he has the football in his hands, bullying his way through defenders. Both Robinson and Allgeier make for a thunder-and-lightning-esque duo in the running back room.

Sixth-round rookie Jase McClellan joins the group hoping to showcase his skillset in some fashion. Avery Williams, returning from an ACL injury, rounds out this running back room.

Overall Grade : A-

Wide Receiver

Drake London, Darnell Mooney, Rondale Moore, Ray-Ray McCloud, Casey Washington, KhaDarel Hodge

Drake London continues to be the team’s WR1 while showing some great flashes although not surpassing 1,000 yards in either of his first two seasons. This year he finally has a chance to breakout with having a top notch QB tossing him the rock.

Darnell Mooney and Rondale Moore were both added this offseason as starters, replacing Mack Hollins and Scotty Miller respectively. Mooney expects to be the WR2 alongside London, getting a significant amount of playing time. Moore will presumably take the WR3 role and could also be seen in the kick-return game at times as well.

Ray-Ray McCloud comes over from the San Francisco 49ers, KhaDarel Hodge returns for yet another season with the team, and rookie Casey Washington adds his name to the receiving corps as well. While not having superstars in the room, this trio provides a fair amount of depth behind the primary starters.

The offense expects to be scoring a lot, with a more explosive passing attack this time around, and the potential is there. All eyes will be on this receiving core and how they can handle that pressure.

Overall Grade : B-

Tight End

Kyle Pitts, Charlie Woerner, Ross Dwelley, John FitzPatrick

Kyle Pitts has a tremendous amount of potential that no one can deny. Battling through injuries and rather poor coaching, Pitts hopes to breakthrough this season and show the league exactly why he was the No. 4 overall pick in 2021.

Charlie Woerner and Ross Dwelley both landed in Atlanta during free agency after departing from the San Francisco 49ers, with the former presumed to be the backup behind Pitts.

John FitzPatrick is primarily used as a blocking tight end, so he has a chance to remain on the roster just based on his ability in that category.

If Pitts can keep himself healthy this season, he should most definitely see close to 100% of the targets distributed amongst this group.

Overall Grade : C+

Offensive Line

Chris Lindstrom, Matthew Bergeron, Jake Matthews, Kaleb McGary, Drew Dalman

One of the more well-rounded groups for the Falcons is this offensive line .

Right guard Chris Lindstrom has consistently been amongst the top offensive linemen in the entire league since being drafted in 2019. Second-year left guard Matthew Bergeron played a solid rookie season. Left tackle Jake Matthews is aging, but is still a very reliable starter. Right tackle Kaleb McGary had an up and down season in 2023, after re-signing with the team on a three-year deal. Center Drew Dalman continues to get better year after year.

Storm Norton is poised to make this roster and is likely to be used as a swing tackle. Kyle Hinton and Ryan Neuzil could see their names on the final 53-man roster as backups along with Norton.

While each starter has their own improvements they could make, this is still a top-five offensive line unit in the entire NFL.

Overall Grade : A+

Defense

Defensive Line

Grady Jarrett, David Onyemata, Zach Harrison, Ruke Orhorhoro, Brandon Dorlus

This group has a mix of old and new faces.

Grady Jarrett has been a mainstay for the defensive line as he enters his tenth year with the team. As Jarrett returns from a season-ending ACL injury, he should be able to pick up right where he left off, while also providing a mentorship to the young players entering their first season. David Onyemata is expected to be a starter yet again alongside Jarrett, and rightfully so, as Onyemata tallied four sacks and two forced fumbles in the 2023 season.

Zach Harrison looks to transition over to a spot on the interior, which is his first time doing so in his entire football career. While that is a likely possibility, head coach Raheem Morris recently talked about Harrison and his versatility both inside and outside, so there is a chance the team uses Harrison as an edge in some packages.

Ruke Orhorhoro and Brandon Dorlus are the fresh faces on this defensive line after being drafted this past April.

Ta’Quon Graham, LaCale London and rookie Zion Logue amongst others will have opportunities during training camp to make the roster and solidify a spot on this rather crowded defensive line.

Overall Grade : B+

Outside Linebacker

Arnold Ebiketie, Lorenzo Carter, Bralen Trice, James Smith-Williams, DeAngelo Malone

This pass-rush group is rather underwhelming.

Arnold Ebiketie leads this unit, amassing six sacks last season. Seven-year veteran Lorenzo Carter figures to start on the opposite side of Ebiketie, unless he is beaten out for the job during training camp. DeAngelo Malone is still with the team and may very well make it again this year, although not seeing too much playing time throughout his career thus far.

Atlanta did not add a premier pass-rusher, but did bring in Bralen Trice during the NFL Draft and James Smith-Williams during free agency. Smith-Williams is not formally listed as an outside linebacker, but he has been taking reps as a pass-rusher on the edge during training camp, so he falls into this group. Third-round rookie Trice played well during his time in college and may have a shot at competing for a starting job if he impresses.

This unit is one that likely needs the most work at this point in time, and while Raheem Morris and his staff have confidence in Ebiketie and his fellow pass-rushers, the team could still add a player to this group after training camp concludes.

Overall Grade : D+

Inside Linebacker

Kaden Elliss, Troy Andersen, Nate Landman, J.D. Bertrand

Kaden Elliss had a solid season last year, and is a lock to get the nod as a starter again, but his running mate is more of the question mark. Not because there aren't any starter-worthy players, but because both Troy Andersen and Nate Landman deserve a spot in the starting lineup.

J.D. Bertrand could see some significant playing time as a linebacker here and there, while also seeing time in the special teams unit in his rookie season, but at the end of the day Bertrand is presumed to be a primary backup in the linebacker room.

Whether it’s Andersen or Landman who land the starting job next to Elliss , or even a rotation between the three players, Atlanta should feel very comfortable knowing that it has three players worth of two starting jobs in the inside linebacker unit.

Much like the offensive line, this quartet of linebackers is a reliable group on the team.

Overall Grade : A

Cornerback

A.J. Terrell, Clark Phillips III, Dee Alford, Mike Hughes, Antonio Hamilton Sr., Kevin King

A.J. Terrell is the team’s CB1 and there are extension talks between him and the team. Terrell hasn’t had an interception in quite some time, but he remains as one of the more physical cornerbacks in the league.

Clark Phillips III and Mike Hughes are battling for the starting CB2 position, and as of right now it is anyone’s guess who wins the job. Hughes has been seeing reps as the starter during the first few training camp practices, but it is still very early on in the process, things could change.

Dee Alford seems like a lock for the nickel corner position, there should be little to no concern there.

Antonio Hamilton and Kevin King could be players who show something special during camp and earn a meaningful spot on this cornerback unit.

Similar to the pass-rush group, this cornerback room looks worrisome. Atlanta may not be done adding to this room, however, as there is still time to add a player or two should they choose to do so. Players such as Stephon Gilmore and Xavien Howard are still out on the free agent market and could land in Atlanta, which would almost certainly give this group more depth and security.

Overall Grade : C

Safety

Jessie Bates III, DeMarcco Hellams, Richie Grant, Micah Abernathy

Everyone knows Jessie Bates III is a top safety in the league . Last season he had a stupendous year, achieving six interceptions, three forced fumbles and one pick-six. There’s no question whether signing Bates was worth it for the Falcons, because the answer is always an astounding yes.

Bates’ partner in the starting safety spot seems to be up for grabs. DeMarcco Hellams performed well in 2023 and it was assumed that he would see a chance to start in the upcoming season. That may not be entirely true just yet, as Richie Grant has been seeing reps with the first-team, making for an interesting competition between the two to determine who ultimately starts when Week 1 rolls around.

This portion of Atlanta’s secondary has a bit more depth security than the cornerback room may have. With that said, there shouldn’t be a ton of concerns for this safety unit.