The Falcons head into Monday night’s matchup with the Saints carrying some uncertainty on defense, but not a full-blown crisis. Atlanta’s final status report lists inside linebacker Divine Deablo and defensive end Samson Ebukam as questionable, while neither player has been ruled out.
Deablo’s hamstring has kept him limited all week, including Friday’s practice, and his status looms especially large. He has started all three games for Atlanta this season and has been on the field for every defensive snap, so any absence would force a real adjustment in the middle of the defense. Through three games, he has posted 11 tackles, including five solo stops, and one pass defended.
If Deablo can’t go, Christian Harris sits next in line on the unofficial depth chart. Harris has played in two games this season and has two tackles, both solo.
He also brings a much bigger track record to the spot, having started 12 games for the Houston Texans in 2023 and finishing that year with 101 tackles, seven tackles for loss, two sacks and seven passes defended. Atlanta could also look to rookie Harold Perkins Jr. for more snaps.
Ebukam’s outlook looks a little better. He missed the Week 3 win over the Green Bay Packers after suffering a hamstring injury the week before, but he was back to full participation Friday, his first time reaching that level since the injury. In his first two games of the season, Ebukam has totaled three tackles and half a sack.
If Ebukam is still unable to return Monday night, the Falcons have been working with enough depth up front to spread the workload around instead of leaning on one replacement. Bralen Trice has been elevated from the practice squad for two straight weeks, and Atlanta would need to make a decision on him after this week because of the limit on practice squad elevations. That means signing him to the 53-man roster or releasing him.
Cameron Thomas has been a major part of the rotation through the first three games, leading Atlanta’s defensive ends with 118 defensive snaps. Za’Darius Smith has also been heavily involved, logging 77 snaps and serving as one of the more visible pieces of the pass rush rotation.
With no players listed as doubtful or out, Atlanta enters the NFC South matchup with both Deablo and Ebukam still in play.
In Other News...
Jake Matthews Is Suddenly A Falcons Concern At The Worst Time
Jake Matthews has long been one of the Falcons quiet constants, the kind of veteran left tackle Atlanta could usually trust to steady things no matter what else was happening around him. This season has brought a different picture. According to Pro Football Focus grades and what has shown up on game tape, Matthews has slipped well below the level the Falcons are used to getting, and his performance has become a real issue on both the passing and running fronts.
The timing could hardly be worse, with New Orleans coming up in Week 4 and bringing a pass rush that is built to stress any shaky edge protection. For a Falcons offense trying to settle in, Matthews struggles add another layer of concern, especially because his track record has always been about durability and dependability. Now Atlanta has to wonder whether one of its most trusted veterans can hold up in a matchup that is likely to put him under the microscope from the first snap. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Head To New Orleans With Penix Adding Real Juice To This Rivalry
A Monday night trip to New Orleans always carries some extra edge for Atlanta, and this one arrives with the Falcons coming off their first win under Kevin Stefanski. Michael Penix Jr.s return from the ACL injury has given the offense a noticeably different feel, and his presence adds another layer to a divisional game that already tends to come with plenty of noise and little patience.
The Saints, meanwhile, enter Week 4 with Tyler Shough at quarterback and plenty of passing production behind him, as he sits second in the league in that category. So the setup is simple enough: an improving Falcons team trying to build on some momentum, a high-volume Saints passing attack, and a rivalry that could get a lot more interesting if Penix keeps bringing the kind of spark Atlanta has been missing. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons' Early Draft Outlook Could Shape Their Next Big Decision
A speculative 2027 NFL mock draft already has an early feel for where the Falcons could be headed, and it points them toward a place they have spent plenty of time thinking about: the offensive line. In that projection, Jordan Seaton lands in Atlanta in the first round, a reminder that the next big roster question for the Falcons may be less about flash and more about keeping the foundation sturdy as the years move on.
The broader mock draft is still in the realm of educated guesswork, with Jeremiah Smith slotted to the top overall pick for Miami and other premium names like Colin Simmons and Leonard Moore going early to teams with clear needs. For the Falcons, though, the line choice stands out because it reflects a familiar reality in roster building, where protecting the quarterback and shoring up the front can shape how the rest of the draft board is attacked. [Read more 🡒]