After the Super Bowl is finished, the offseason hits, and the next big football event outside of free agency is the NFL Draft. Here’s the top 5 positions and players that the Falcons should target in 2025.
For the next two weeks, all of America will be planning Super Bowl parties, placing their picks for the champion of the 2024 season, and engaging in online discourse about if a fourth Super Bowl ring puts Patrick Mahomes in the same stratosphere as Tom Brady for the ‘Greatest of All Time’ debate.
After a champion is crowned, all of our eyes will be set on the offseason, and fans everywhere will be wondering what moves their respective teams will make in free agency and in the 2025 NFL Draft. While the Atlanta Falcons 2024 season at the most basic level can be seen as an improvement, after suffering three straight 7-10 seasons and finally progressing to 8-9, the season failed to deliver upon preseason expectations of making the playoffs and winning the NFC South. In turn, that extended the team’s postseason drought to seven years and division title drought to eight.
Even though the Falcons fell short of our goal of being one of fourteen teams left playing in January, it seems like the Falcons are heading in the right direction and are just a solid piece or two away from contending, even if the defense needs a more significant infusion. Even after starting 6-3 and collapsing in the second half of the season, the Falcons put together a respectable last trio of games with Michael Penix under center, and especially offensively, experienced a resurgence that gave Atlanta fans confidence heading into 2025.
With the NFL Draft a few months away, there’s no doubt that ownership and the coaching staff are looking at what players should be wearing black, red and white next season. Let’s take a look at the four most important positions that need strengthening for 2025.
Team Needs
- EDGE/outside linebacker
- Cornerback
- Safety
- Wide receiver/tight end depth
If you’ve ever played Madden’s franchise mode, one of the most enjoyable parts is getting to play general manager in the offseason to try and strengthen your team. The game always displays your team needs as a guideline for what positions you should be prioritizing that offseason, which is helpful to always bear in mind.
Let’s put ourselves in the minds of general manager Terry Fontenot and the coaching staff, who are probably elated that they can now build around a quarterback for the future instead of trying to target one. Above are what I believe are the most important team needs for Atlanta, and of course you can disagree with me in the comments below, but something I think most fans can agree on is defense needs to take precedence this draft, starting in round 1. Our last first round defensive selection was A.J. Terrell in 2020, and since then we’ve selected four straight offensive players with our first pick. That needs to change this year.
Edge Rusher
I think the edge rusher position is the most important, especially with players like Matthew Judon and Lorenzo Carter hitting free agency. Barring a contract extension, the Falcons will likely lose a player or two that took up a high volume of snaps at the position, leaving a void in the defense that could be filled by a rookie in the draft.
Those players aren’t necessarily significant losses, as it goes without saying that Atlanta underperformed severely in stopping the run and getting pressure on the quarterback. Arnold Ebiketie had a strong finish to his season with five sacks in his last six games, but for the majority of the year Atlanta struggled to make a difference in the sack category. They ranked 2nd to last in sacks on the year, with only 31 total sacks in seventeen games. Atlanta hasn’t had a double digit sack player since Vic Beasely’s 15.5 sack season in 2016, and while it’s not necessary to have a player that can consistently produce those stats to have success in dominating the backfield, it pays to have the dependability of a player like Myles Garrett or T.J. Watt. After all, the last time we had a double digit sack player, we went to the Super Bowl.
Players that come to mind at edge that Atlanta should keep an eye out for are guys like Penn State’s Abdul Carter, Tennessee’s James Pearce Jr., and South Carolina’s Kyle Kennard, though they may not get a real shot at Carter without moving up. Atlanta needs to select a lengthy edge with a quick first step that can beat offensive tackles off the block and get in the backfield fast. Another skill they should have is contain, being able to control the edge and not let anything outside of them. Too many times this year, Atlanta got out of their rushing lanes, which directly resulted in big scrambles or quarterbacks buying more time for downfield throws to their receivers.
Each player I mentioned has what it takes to become what Atlanta needs at edge, and with so many top 10 picks belonging to teams that need to address their quarterback, or their offensive line, the Falcons are in prime position to select a top edge rusher. A well-rounded, gifted one could be a game-changing upgrade for Atlanta.
Cornerback
The 2024 season mostly saw the return to form of A.J. Terrell, as he showed stretches of being that lockdown threat we saw in 2021. Outside of Terrell, Mike Hughes, Dee Alford, and Clark Phillips III were the other corners that took up most of the volume in terms of snap count. Mike Hughes was a surprise standout after much skepticism in preseason, and Clark Phillips III made real improvements to his game and saw his role elevated within the defense, however slightly. Hughes and Alford are set to hit free agency, and Phillips III, while a phenomenal talent, still has some deficiencies in terms of height and size, two things he can’t really control. Tackling remains an area of focus for him.
This year could be a time where the Falcons grab a well rounded corner that could compliment Terrell to lift the talent level here, even if they do bring back Hughes and Alford. Obviously getting a generational player like Colorado’s Travis Hunter would be a dream come true, but he’ll almost certainly be taken by the time the 15th pick comes around, but corners like Michigan’s Will Johnson, Notre Dame’s Benjamin Morrison, and Texas’ Jahdae Barron could be realistic picks if Atlanta wanted to take a corner in the first round. Trey Amos could also be a corner for Atlanta to keep an eye on if they were to try and pick one in the 2nd round, as he’s an intriguing fit for this defense.
Safety
After the signing of Justin Simmons in free agency last year, the Falcons secondary rebuild was heading in the right direction, and Simmons seemed like the missing piece that would bring it all together. Pairing him with Jessie Bates seemed like the perfect match, with two defensive backs with similar downfield ball hawking play styles. While Bates continued to dominate and prove his worth as one of the best safeties in the league, Simmons’s performance didn’t exactly meet expectations, which in turn didn’t create the strong-free safety combo we were hoping to see.
Barring Atlanta resigning Simmons before free agency hits, Simmons will join the long list of big Atlanta names hitting the market, opening a safety position in the secondary. 2021 draft pick Richie Grant is also slated to hit free agency as well, thinning out our safety corps quite a bit. DeMarcco Hellams will be back from the ankle injury he suffered in the pre season, and may be promoted to the starting safety position should Simmons hit free agency.
Atlanta may also elect to grab a safety in the draft, and beef up the position depth for 2025. Alabama’s Malachi Moore, Penn State’s Kevin Winston Jr., and Ohio State’s Lathan Ransom are all safeties that I feel like would be quality complements for Bates and Hellams should we not resign Simmons.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Pass catching production was something Atlanta had no shortage of in 2024, and it feels like a much needed change of pace after not having a receiver amass 1,000 yards since Kyle Pitts’ rookie year. Speaking of Pitts, he once again underdelivered in a year that felt key to the future of his career in Atlanta. While it wasn’t a contract year for Pitts after the team picked up his fifth-year option ahead of the 2024 season, it almost still felt like a contract year for him to prove his worth. In hindsight, picking up the fifth-year option seems a lot more like a precautionary measure to allow more time for evaluation and trade exploration for the fourth-year tight end.
When Terry Fontenot gave his end of the year press conference, he didn’t mince on his words about Pitts’ production, saying “When you take a player that high in the draft, obviously you expect a certain level,” said Fontenot. “We understand Kyle had a really good rookie year, and he hasn’t equaled or exceeded that production since then. There’s no excuses we’re making about it.” I do believe that the team wants to keep Pitts around, but like he said, you expect a certain level of play when you take a player that high, and the question is, would the smart thing be to explore his trade options with his potential high trade value?
If the Falcons decide to ship Pitts before the draft, then selecting guys like Bowling Green’s Harold Fannin Jr., Texas’ Gunnar Helm, and Miami’s Elijah Arroyo would offer the team tight end selections that could provide Atlanta with another pass catcher and add versatility to a developing offense. These tight ends could help Penix get into a rhythm as he continues to learn and get comfortable in this offense.
What do you view as top needs and top players for Atlanta to target in this upcoming draft?