Training camp is about to put the Atlanta Falcons under the microscope, and the roster already has a few clear pressure points. Kevin Stefanski and the new-look staff are stepping into their first season, and the way these position groups stack up says plenty about where the team is sturdy, where it is shaky, and where the real battles will happen once camp opens.
At the top of the concern list is quarterback, and it is not close. Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. are set to battle for the job, but neither comes in with clean answers.
Tagovailoa was benched and cut for an NFL-record $99.2 million, while Penix is dealing with the third ACL injury of his career and still has not been cleared. Trevor Siemian is there as the veteran backup, and rookie UDFA Jack Strand is competing for the third spot.
With Stefanski and a group of playcallers running the offense, the winner gets a shot to reboot his career, but the position remains the roster’s biggest source of uncertainty.
Linebacker was also reset out of necessity after Kaden Elliss left in free agency. Divine Deablo is back as a central piece, and Christian Harris is the expected next man up, but the depth chart is still unsettled. Kendal Daniels and Harold Perkins Jr. will get attention in camp, while JD Bertrand, Malik Verdon, Channing Tindall, and Troy Andersen are all fighting to keep their spots.
The Falcons’ defensive front brings a different kind of story. The pass rush set a franchise record in 2025, and the interior line helped drive that success, even if the run defense lagged badly at 27th in EPA/rush allowed.
Da’Shawn Hand, Maason Smith, Chris Williams, and rookie Anterio Thompson are in line to help replace David Onyemata and Ruke Orhorhoro. Brandon Dorlus, Zach Harrison, and LaCale London are back as well, with those three veterans combining for 18 sacks, though health is a concern after injuries limited Dorlus and Harrison last season.
Wide receiver was the team’s weakest unit a year ago, and Drake London carried most of the load. He finished with 68 catches for 919 yards and 7 touchdowns in 12 games, while the rest of the group combined for 75 receptions, 892 yards, and 3 touchdowns.
Atlanta clearly tried to change that. Jahan Dotson, Olamide Zaccheaus, and rookie Zachariah Branch were brought in to raise the floor, and if Dotson or Branch pops while London stays healthy, this could become one of the roster’s biggest risers.
Kyle Pitts’ extension last month reflected what he did in 2025, when he delivered a breakout season. That production is why the tight end group slots ahead of receiver.
Pitts gives the Falcons a true top-10 option at the position, and if he builds on that year, the group can climb even higher. Charlie Woerner and Austin Hooper give the room veteran support, and Joshua Simon is a name to watch this summer.
The pass rush has more moving parts than just the interior. James Pearce Jr.’s pending suspension will affect how the unit looks, but Jalon Walker could be poised for a second-year jump. Azeez Ojulari and Samson Ebukam were added as strong secondary options, and the Falcons are also expecting Bralen Trice back.
Special teams got a complete overhaul after one of the league’s worst seasons in that phase. Ian Cunningham brought in Nick Folk, the NFL’s most accurate kicker, along with Jake Bailey, a punter with a big leg, and rookie Zachariah Branch, who could bring juice as a returner. Channing Tindall and Harold Perkins Jr. should also help as gunners in coverage.
The secondary was already a strength, and it still looks the part. Xavier Watts and Jessie Bates III give the Falcons a pair of top-end safeties, and A.J.
Terrell Jr. anchors corner. Mike Hughes is a swing factor after a rough 2025, but if he rebounds, this group could be among the league’s best.
Atlanta also used its top pick in April on Avieon Terrell, who should be a major piece for Jeff Ulbrich’s defense and is likely to begin in the slot while Billy Bowman Jr. recovers from a torn Achilles.
Up front on offense, the Falcons have one of their most dependable areas. Jake Matthews and Chris Lindstrom headline a veteran line that ranks with the best in football.
Matthew Bergeron and Ryan Neuzil bring more experience, Jawaan Taylor arrived to replace the retired Kaleb McGary, and Bill Callahan will coach the group. The depth is less reassuring, but the starters are elite.
Running back may be the easiest group to trust. Bijan Robinson alone makes the room one of the best in the league, and Brian Robinson Jr. gives Atlanta a strong answer after Tyler Allgeier’s departure. Tyler Goodson adds special teams value, but this is still one of the NFL’s premier backfields.
In Other News...
Falcons May Have Found A Bigger Answer Behind Bijan Than Expected
The Falcons didnt just add a backup behind Bijan Robinson, they may have found a more complete fit for what their offense wants to be. Brian Robinson Jr. arrived on a one-year, $2.5 million deal and brings real starting experience from Washington before his time with San Francisco, giving Atlanta a runner who has already handled a larger workload and can step into meaningful snaps without forcing the offense to change its identity.
For a team that still wants to lean on the run, the appeal is obvious. Brian Robinson Jr. is expected to give the Falcons a change-of-pace presence and a goal-line option, which matters even more after Tyler Allgeier moved on and Atlanta looked for a cheaper answer with a different kind of value. The question now is how much of that role he can claim in a backfield built around Bijan Robinson, and how quickly he can turn that opportunity into something bigger. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Already Seem To Have A Plan If Ulbrich Leaves
Jeff Ulbrichs rise has put the Falcons in a familiar NFL spot, with a coordinator who looks like a future head coach and a staff that has to think ahead before the next opening arrives. Atlanta has already started doing that work by bringing in Patrick Toney, a defensive assistant whose background and recent move to the Falcons make him one of the more interesting names on the defensive side of the building.
Toney did not arrive in Atlanta by accident, either. He had already accepted a defensive coordinator job at Ole Miss before changing course to join the Falcons, a decision that says plenty about the opportunity in front of him and the way the organization is trying to keep its defensive pipeline strong. He also comes with recent experience coaching defensive backs in Arizona, where he spent the last three seasons working with a young cornerback group, which should help as he settles in with Atlantas secondary. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Have Cap Space And Too Many Holes To Ignore Before Camp
The Falcons still have room to work with this offseason, sitting on roughly $38 million in cap space, but the more pressing issue is that the roster still has too many obvious openings to ignore before camp. Help is needed on both sides of the ball, and the conversation around Atlanta has already turned toward whether the front office should use that flexibility to chase impact veterans at receiver, offensive line, edge and linebacker rather than waiting for the market to sort itself out.
Wideout remains part of the discussion because the room does not feel finished, while the right side of the line has its own questions after Kaleb McGarys retirement. On defense, the edge situation is still murky with James Pearce Jr. leaving an unclear timeline, and linebacker is another spot where a steady veteran could make sense. The names being floated are the kind of proven options that could change the feel of the roster quickly, even if the Falcons still have to decide how aggressive they want to be. [Read more 🡒]