The Jessie Bates III trade has opened the door for DeMarcco Hellams, and Atlanta looks ready to see what it has in the fourth-year safety.
Bates is reportedly headed to Jacksonville in a deal that sends back a 2027 second-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick, leaving the Falcons with a noticeable hole in the secondary. In the aftermath, Kevin Stefanski made it clear who the “next man up” is.
“Obviously, DeMarcco [Hellams] is the next man up that we feel really good about,” Stefanski said.
For Hellams, that’s a real chance to change the conversation around his future. He’s entering the final stretch of his rookie contract, and this could be the stretch run where he finally gets the extended look he’s been waiting on. If he handles it well, it could be enough to keep him in Atlanta beyond this season.
So far, though, his defensive role has been tiny. Through nine games, Hellams has logged just 24 defensive snaps, with 13 of those coming in the Week 4 blowout win over the New Orleans Saints. That’s not much to work with, but the landscape has changed now that Bates is gone.
Atlanta’s published depth chart has Hellams directly behind Bates, and he already got first-team reps during training camp when he or Xavier Watts were dealing with lingering injury concerns. That doesn’t guarantee he inherits the starting job, but it does put him squarely in the mix.
Sydney Brown could also see a bigger role, though his usage comes with its own caveats. He’ll still split time between nickel and safety, and when he played safety in Philadelphia, he wasn’t very effective.
Even so, it would make sense for Atlanta to give Hellams more chances over the final eight games. The Falcons haven’t seen enough from him on defense over the last few seasons to make a clean judgment, and this is the kind of opening that forces one.
His contract only adds to the intrigue. Hellams, 25, is in the final season of his rookie deal, and with his limited defensive production since 2023, it’s hard to picture Atlanta making him a major free-agent priority based on what he’s shown so far. His health history doesn’t help either.
That’s why these next eight games matter so much. Hellams has already shown he can help on special teams, but the Falcons need to know whether he can handle a larger defensive workload. Bates’ departure gives them the chance to find out.
Brown has the edge in recent playing time, with roughly 35% of Atlanta’s defensive snaps this season, so Hellams isn’t being handed anything. But with the season already slipping away, the Falcons have every reason to evaluate their younger defensive backs.
Hellams doesn’t need to turn into Atlanta’s next Jessie Bates to earn another contract. If he can prove he can contribute consistently on defense while still bringing value on special teams, that may be enough to give the Falcons a reason to bring him back.
In Other News...
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The challenge gets even trickier because Kansas City does not need to lean on one thing to move the ball. Kenneth Walker III gives the Chiefs a strong ground element, while Mahomes and the passing attack can still stress a defense with quick throws and yards after the catch. For the Falcons, the problem is less about one matchup and more about surviving the full menu of what Kansas City can throw at them. [Read more 🡒]
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Andy Reid is keeping Butker in the lineup for now, even as the Chiefs have added Justin Tucker to the practice squad and left the door open to a possible shakeup later. For the Falcons, it is the kind of subplot worth watching from afar, because a team that has been steady enough to keep its footing in the standings could still end up facing a very different kicking picture before long. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Just Drew A Hard Line In Their Rebuild
The Falcons were willing to make real moves at the NFL trade deadline, sending away key starters Jessie Bates III and Ryan Neuzil as they continue reshaping the roster. But the front office also made clear there is a difference between retooling and tearing it down, and some names were never part of the conversation in the same way. Atlantas approach suggests a rebuild with boundaries, not a full-scale purge.
One of those boundaries was Bijan Robinson. The Giants reportedly checked in on the running back, but Atlanta never seriously entertained the idea of moving him, a sign of how firmly the team views him as part of its long-term core. For a franchise trying to build around young talent, keeping Robinson out of the deadline churn says plenty about where the Falcons believe their foundation already is. [Read more 🡒]