The Falcons have a long shopping list on defense even after their additions.
The Atlanta Falcons aren’t done in free agency, and the NFL Draft is still ahead. The fact that there’s a lull after the initial flurry of signings still makes this a fine time to check in on the roster.
Where are the Falcons today? In brief, the offense is in pretty good shape with one major question mark, while the defense is mostly just question marks. Depending on how much you like a Younghoe Koo bounceback and trust this team to find a capable punt returner, special teams might be heavy on the ???s, as well.
Here’s where the roster stands today, and what the Falcons need to next.
Offense
QB Michael Penix Jr.
QB Kirk Cousins
QB Emory Jones Jr.
RB Bijan Robinson
RB Tyler Allgeier
RB Jase McClellan
RB Carlos Washington
RB Elijah Dotson
WR Drake London
WR Darnell Mooney
WR Ray-Ray McCloud
WR KhaDarel Hodge
WR Casey Washington
WR Makai Polk
WR Chris Blair
WR David Sills
WR Dylan Drummond
WR Phillip Dorsett
TE Kyle Pitts
TE Charlie Woerner
TE Nikola Kalinic
T Jake Matthews
T Kaleb McGary
T Storm Norton
T Brandon Parker
T Tyrone Wheatley Jr.
T Kilian Zierer
T Joey Fisher
G Matthew Bergeron
G Chris Lindstrom
G Kyle Hinton
G Elijah Wilkinson
G/T Matthew Cindric
C Ryan Neuzil (right of first refusal tender)
C/G Jovaughn Gwyn
This is an offense in need of a clear answer at center and better depth around the edges, especially at tight end. You could also argue for an upgrade at third receiver, where right now McCloud is locked in to the role minus a major leap or emergence from the likes of Blair, Washington, or Polk.
But this side of the ball is the one in better shape. You have your young, very promising quarterback, one of the league’s best backs and best backup backs, two very good top receivers, and a still-promising if deeply frustrating tight end and his elite blocking counterpart. The line is in good shape with depth—Norton, Hinton, and Wilkinson are all quality reserves, and the team has a number of young tackles to try to develop—and thus the ingredients for a pretty good to very good offense are here.
The Falcons probably can’t go into the season with Neuzil as the clear-cut starter with zero competition, so expect a center signing sooner than later.
Defense
DL David Onyemata
DL Morgan Fox
DL Ruke Orhorhoro
DL Zach Harrison
DL Brandon Dorlus
DL Ta’Quon Graham
DL LaCale London
DL Junior Aho
EDGE Leonard Floyd
EDGE Arnold Ebiketie
EDGE Bralen Trice
EDGE DeAngelo Malone
EDGE Khalid Kareem
ILB Kaden Elliss
ILB Troy Andersen
ILB Divine Deablo
ILB JD Bertrand
ILB Josh Woods
CB AJ Terrell
CB Mike Hughes
CB Clark Phillips
CB Natrone Brooks
CB Keith Taylor
CB Lamar Jackson
S Jessie Bates
S DeMarcco Hellams
S Benny Sapp III
When you lay it out like this, things still seem pretty grim.
This line is better with Fox as a sturdy, reliable option who can add some juice in terms of the pass rush, but the Falcons will be heavily reliant on steps forward from Orhorhoro, Harrison, and Dorlus as things are constructed. Onyemata is still a useful player but needs to play fewer snaps, while London and Graham at least give the Falcons proven, capable depth. The team needs a game-wrecking addition here barring some breakouts.
The story is similar at EDGE, where Floyd offers a high floor and Ebiketie still offers a high ceiling. Kareem and Malone are useful special teamers who can help in a pinch—Kareem was good in limited snaps, Malone can occasionally offer some juice as a pass rusher—while Trice is an unknown with upside.
Inside linebacker, where Elliss is one of the team’s most reliable defenders, Andersen still offers upside when healthy, and Deablo is an intriguing, athletic addition, looms as one of the more interesting position groups this summer. Bertrand will get a little run but is primarily here for his special teams value.
Cornerback is in a dicey spot. The Falcons haven’t trusted Phillips to play the nickel and Taylor hasn’t been great when he’s done so, which leaves Brooks as their best in-house option. The Falcons need an upgrade there unless they’re kicking Hughes back inside, which didn’t go well the last time, and could use more proven depth even if I do like Brooks and Phillips a lot.
Safety is perhaps the thinnest spot on the roster. Hellams is a player I like but is also coming off a lost season thanks to injury, and Sapp is an unproven option. The Falcons will have to add here and seem likely to do so in the draft.
It’s difficult to look as this side of the ball without a wave of anxiety washing over you, because the Falcons are either thin, reliant on unproven players stepping up, or both almost everywhere. The rest of the offseason needs to be spent addressing the defense.
Special teams
K Younghoe Koo
P Bradley Pinion
LS Liam McCullough
The specialists are set…for now. McCullough just signed a new multi-year deal and is a very solid long snapper, but Koo is coming off a disastrous year ended prematurely by injury, while Pinion saw a pullback in his numbers in 2024. The Falcons aren’t going to go spend big money or real draft capital to pull in competition for either Koo or Pinion, but don’t be surprised if they add someone this summer to push Koo in particular.
What’s next?
Center needs to be addressed with a veteran signing. It can be a stopgap type starter or a proven veteran like David Andrews, but either way the goal should be to have an upgrade to Ryan Neuzil or a solid fallback if he’s injured or doesn’t seize the job outright. The team should nibble at the edges of their interior depth, wide receiver, and tight end, and may need to chase a veteran backup if they deal Kirk Cousins.
On defense, the Falcons should prioritize adding at every level of the defense. You can push back on me a little bit here and argue that inside linebacker is pretty set, but it only takes one injury there to push that position group back into scary territory, especially if that injury happens to Elliss. The team needs more run-stopping acumen and experience up front, more high-end ability at EDGE, and more of everything in the secondary to even dream of enjoying more than a whisper of improvement in 2025. It looks like the defense will continue to be the focus of both free agency and the draft, and that’s a must.
Finally, look for the Falcons to host a fierce competition for punt and kick returner and seek to add a player who can push Koo this summer and serve as an in-season call to make if Koo isn’t right. There’s no shortage of needs for this team, which wants to be successful in 2025 but has miles to go to get there.