In the NFL, what you do in the draft and free agency can make or break your season. The Philadelphia Eagles won Super Bowl 59 largely due to the offseason additions of Saquon Barkley and rookie Cooper DeJean.
The Atlanta Falcons hope to make a similar jump in 2025 but have little margin for error as the offseason approaches. With 30 impending free agents and just four draft picks, general manager Terry Fontenot has a lot to do and very few resources.
First, the team must create cap space before it can sign any notable free agents. Then, the Falcons need to hit on their first-round pick. Many expect the team to focus on defense in this year’s draft, which hasn’t been Fontenot’s strong suit over his four years in Atlanta.
Pro Football Focus dropped a new feature breaking down each team’s “dream scenario” for the 2025 NFL offseason. For the Falcons, PFF recommended signing free-agent edge rusher Baron Browning:
Without much spending power, Atlanta could look toward cheaper options with high upside, like Baron Browning, to boost a pass-rush unit that ranked 30th in both win rate (34.5%) and PFF grade (59.0). Browning, who moved to the edge full time in 2022, flourished in Arizona, earning a career-high 77.2 PFF pass-rush grade. — Mason Cameron, PFF
Browning makes sense as a low-cost free agent who can put pressure on opposing quarterbacks. While he isn’t quite as impactful as other free-agent suggestions, such as Eagles EDGE Josh Sweat, Browning is the kind of under-the-radar signing that could help this defense without breaking the bank.
PFF also highlighted the ideal first-round target for the Falcons in the 2025 NFL draft. At pick No. 15, PFF named Georgia safety Malaki Starks as the team’s “perfect” prospect:
Adding to the secondary would also be a shrewd move, and should the class’ top safety, Malaki Starks, fall to the Falcons at No. 15, they should jump at the chance to select him. Pairing Starks with Jessie Bates III would create a scary tandem on the back end of this coverage unit and provide the Falcons a plan for the future at safety. — Mason Cameron, PFF
The Falcons could lose both Justin Simmons and Richie Grant in free agency, which would create a big hole in the secondary. Starks, as we highlighted in our Falcons draft target feature, would be a good fit next to Bates at safety.
Another option could be third-year safety DeMarcco Hellams. The former seventh-round pick out of Alabama had a promising rookie season but missed all of 2024 due to injury. Either way, the Falcons must find some new blood this offseason if they’re going to contend in the NFC.