ESPN’s latest position rankings are a reminder of what the Atlanta Falcons have built - and what they haven’t.
The headline names are there. Bijan Robinson checked in as the No. 1 running back.
Chris Lindstrom landed at No. 6 among interior linemen. Kyle Pitts is back in the top 10 at No.
- Jessie Bates III still looks like a safe bet to crack the safety rankings once they’re released, especially after earning second-team All-Pro honors in two of the last three seasons, including last year.
That’s a strong core, but it also points to the same problem that has followed this roster for years: Atlanta’s best players keep showing up at positions NFL personnel don’t treat as premium. Running back, interior offensive line, tight end, safety and inside linebacker sit in that lower-value bucket. Robinson, Lindstrom and Pitts were all top 15 draft picks, while Bates arrived as a major free-agent investment and carries the second-biggest cap charge among safeties in the league.
The positions that drive the biggest spending and the biggest roster-building decisions are quarterback, wide receiver, offensive tackle, defensive tackle, edge rusher and cornerback. That’s where the Falcons have too often come up short.
The rankings already show some of that. Twenty players received votes at quarterback, but neither Tua Tagovailoa nor Michael Penix Jr. was included.
Jake Matthews earned honorable mention at offensive tackle, and A.J. Terrell did the same at cornerback, but neither cracked the top 10.
Drake London should be in the wide receiver top 10 when that list is released. Atlanta, though, was shut out at edge rusher and defensive tackle.
That imbalance has shown up in the standings. The Falcons went 7-10 in 2023 and finished 8-9 in each of the previous two seasons, even with Robinson, Lindstrom, Bates and Pitts on the roster. They also cycled through four head coaches since 2020.
Much of that roster construction happened under former general manager Terry Fontenot, who was replaced this year by Ian Cunningham. Fontenot eventually tried to fix the issue, using the No. 8 overall pick on Penix in 2024 and then spending two first-round picks on edge rushers in 2025.
But after four years of not investing enough in the defense, it may have been too late. Atlanta still never posted a winning season during Fontenot’s five-year run, despite the obvious talent on hand.
Cunningham now takes over with two young edge rushers in place, a pair that should form the backbone of the pass rush for years. His background includes stops in Philadelphia, Baltimore and Chicago, and he has learned to value premium positions and the trenches.
That showed in his first two picks for Atlanta: cornerback Avieon Terrell and wide receiver/return man Zachariah Branch. Both addressed important needs, too.
Fontenot started to correct the roster imbalance with the Penix pick in 2024, but the earlier mistakes, the trade-ups and the disastrous quarterback signing left him with too much ground to make up. The Falcons still have quarterback questions, but they now appear to have a regime that understands where the resources need to go.
In Other News...
Falcons QB Battle Just Took A Tense Turn Before Camp
The Falcons quarterback picture has already taken on a sharper edge before training camp even opens, with the team set to stage an open competition between Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix. Tagovailoa arrived in Atlanta on a one-year deal after being released by Miami, and the move immediately put one of the leagues most watched quarterback situations back in the spotlight for a franchise that has been searching for stability since Matt Ryans departure.
Patrick Paul, who spent time with Tagovailoa in Miami, added another layer to the conversation by saying he expects Tagovailoa to come out on top. It is a confident prediction for a player coming off a difficult season, and it only heightens the pressure around a camp battle that already feels like it could shape the direction of Atlantas offense well beyond August. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Rookie Is Already Creating Serious Buzz Before Training Camp
Harold Perkins Jr. is already drawing attention in Atlanta before he ever puts on pads for his first NFL training camp. The Falcons used a sixth-round pick on the LSU linebacker in the 2026 NFL Draft, and the early buzz around him has only grown as he spends the offseason training with former Georgia Bulldogs pass-rush specialist Marcus Howard.
For a defense looking for help under coach Jeff Ulbrich, Perkins offers the kind of upside that can make a late-round selection feel much bigger than it looks on paper. Atlanta is optimistic about what he might become, and now the real question is how quickly that offseason momentum carries over once camp opens and the competition turns live. [Read more 🡒]