Atlanta needs to revamp its defensive identity following a disappointing season filled with structural breakdowns and long drives being allowed. How should they strategize their approach going into a pivotal year?
All the headlines surrounding the Falcons involved an offense filled with dynamic talent and high-profile names. Whether it was a productive game or a second-half implosion, everything felt centered on their performance every week. That left the defense an afterthought in many game breakdowns. No matter how inept the pass rush was or how many uncontested completions the opposing quarterback had, the offense would be the primary topic of most conversations.
That won’t be the case this offseason. Besides Drew Dalman’s free agency status, there aren’t major questions about the offensive personnel. It’s the total opposite defensively, where upgrades are needed on all three levels. Following a year of ranking at the bottom in numerous categories, Raheem Morris and Terry Fontenot have to assemble a cohesive plan of action for the defense to make strides and develop young talent. They can’t continue to be overmatched with the offense in prime position to truly take off in 2025.
It Always Starts With the Pass Rush
“There’s no great defense in this league that has not affected the quarterback.” It was a strong statement from someone with plenty to prove coming back to Atlanta. The returning Jeff Ulbrich made his intentions known about getting this unit to a place where they can generate consistent pressure.
It starts with getting younger on the defensive line, as seven players aged 28 years or older played significant roles. Three of them they expected to count on the most were Grady Jarrett, Matthew Judon, and David Onyemata. All three players showed they can’t play at the Pro Bowl-caliber level they once did.
While a young, promising core does exist with Arnold Ebiketie, Zach Harrison, and Ruke Orhorhoro, more talent will be required to produce with four-man rushes instead of relying on Kaden Elliss to cause havoc from blitzes and simulated pressures. Between a lack of high-quality free agents and not having many assets to trade for an All-Pro like Trey Hendrickson, the draft likely presents the best platform to acquire an edge rusher they could build around.
That shouldn’t prevent them from getting creative to sign or trade for edge rushers. It’s the biggest hole on their roster. It’s arguably been the case for the last five years. That doesn’t come from neglect. They have been proactive over the years, acquiring Judon and Dante Fowler to inject explosiveness into a limited group. Those high-profile moves failed to materialize into difference-makers they envisioned getting. It’s time for this regime to get it right with their personnel choices, not only at the edge rusher position but on the interior, where tough decisions will be made.
Interior Shift
One of the biggest issues with Jimmy Lake’s scheme was the propensity to play with light boxes up front. Some of the reasoning can be attributed to linebackers being injured. The other primary reason could be relying on an interior unit that defended the run well in 2023. While Jarrett and Onyemata were excellent together in the first part of that season, they were aided by a unit filled with size and power around them led by Calais Campbell. The personnel became smaller in 2024, as players like Nate Landman struggled mightily, failing to replicate his productivity from playing under Ryan Nielsen.
Jarrett and Onyemata couldn’t get the same strong push up front or take on double teams like they once could. On too many occasions, offensive lines found it easy to create movement inside, leading to gaping holes. Reducing their snaps didn’t help matters either to keep both players fresh. Kansas City, Denver, and Washington had their way with them on the ground in big games.
The Athletic’s Josh Kendall pointed out that releasing Onyemata would cause an $8.8 million dead cap hit. It would save the same amount in total cap dollars, leading to the move likely happening imminently. Deciding on Jarrett’s future is an emotional conundrum. He is the heart and soul of the franchise, yet his contract, age, and performance decline make it difficult to keep him.
Players like Harrison and Orhorhoro need genuine opportunities to prove themselves. A new nose tackle must be added to address their issues stopping the run. Jarrett can still be a valuable contributor, but it has to be financially sensible for the organization.
Greater Speed and Playmaking Ability in the Secondary
Facing the best teams in the league usually leads to positional revelations on where your team stands. One of the more notable discoveries for the Falcons happened against Minnesota, where Sam Darnold threw five touchdown passes in a disheartening defeat.
The secondary’s limitations were on full display, going against one of the more prolific offenses in the league. Mike Hughes, Dee Alford, Clark Phillips, and Justin Simmons allowed explosive highlight-reel plays, some resulting in touchdowns. Jessie Bates got caught out of position multiple times, taking chances to make a play on a potential errant throw by Darnold. That game indicated how incapable the defense was in man coverage against a playoff-bound team.
Hughes, Alford, Simmons, Richie Grant, and Kevin King are the defensive backs heading toward free agency. Other than Hughes, it’s hard to envision any of them being re-signed. Despite surpassing expectations as a starter, Hughes won’t expect to return as a definitive front line option. Ulbrich will likely want to implement more man-coverage looks, as he did during his time with the Jets. That doesn’t align well with Hughes’ skillset. It could be overwhelming for Phillips as an undersized corner who has struggled to stay engaged with receivers on vertical routes.
Per ESPN’s Marc Raimondi, the Falcons allowed the highest completion percentage in the league at nearly 70 percent. Opposing quarterbacks frequently targeted Alford, who appeared a step behind or not passing off receivers properly. It was evident that Simmons’ lack of range and constant missed tackles were problematic. Adding another outside or slot corner with a starting caliber safety will be crucial. Defenses can’t be successful when allowing high-percentage completions so consistently. That can’t happen again, especially considering Bates and A.J. Terrell are the best defensive players on the roster.
Linebacker Versatility
Given all the holes across the defensive line and secondary, it raises the question of how much investment the Falcons could put in at the linebacker position. How the organization views Troy Andersen following two injury-plagued seasons will ultimately determine how aggressively they will attempt to add to the group.
There’s no denying the group needs athleticism and coverage range. As dynamic as Elliss is, he is best suited to playing in the box, attacking gaps, and creating mismatches. Quarterbacks capitalized on throwing into the underneath and intermediate areas of the field when he and Landman were in coverage.
There have been links to the Falcons signing Jamien Sherwood, who is coming off a productive season for the Jets. Playing under Ulbrich does increase the possibility of them pursuing him. His safety background, followed by converting into a linebacker, would be intriguing for a unit needing a player who can make sideline-to-sideline plays. He shouldn’t command a huge price, as last season was his first year playing over 200 snaps.
Drafting a linebacker on Day 2 or 3 can’t be ruled out either. It’s one of those positions where late-round gems can be identified and developed more regularly. The organization will want to give Andersen one more opportunity, considering he is a former second-round pick who played well when healthy over the last two seasons.
Former high-round picks will get every chance to prove themselves, particularly when the general manager is on the hot seat following a forgettable 2021 draft class and franchise-altering moves made last year. Andersen developing into a reliable three-down linebacker would be massive for the organization and, most importantly, reconstructing the defense into a capable group.