The Atlanta Falcons may have turned over the building, but they did not tear the roster down to the studs. There is real young talent here, and it stretches well beyond the obvious headliners.
Bijan Robinson sits at the top of that group. He is only 24, and NFL on CBS just ranked him the best player under 25 years old. In three NFL seasons, Robinson has piled up more than 5,600 total yards, scored 34 touchdowns, and added Pro Bowl and All-Pro recognition last season.
Drake London is right there too. CBS placed him at No. 19 on its list, one spot behind George Pickens and fourth among wide receivers.
At 6-foot-4, London gives quarterbacks a massive target, and his hands make him a problem in contested situations. He is more than just a big body, though.
His route-running gives him another layer, and when that is paired with his strength, he is a tough matchup for anyone.
That combination helped London post 309 catches, 3,961 yards and 22 touchdowns across his first four seasons in Atlanta. The Falcons rewarded him with a four-year, $141 million deal that keeps him in place through 2030.
Kyle Pitts is another major piece of the young foundation. He already has an extension and will remain with the Falcons through 2028. Atlanta made it a priority to keep him because of what he brings as a pass catcher, and because he still has room to grow despite entering his sixth season and not turning 26 until October.
Pitts stands 6-foot-6 and gives the offense another huge target, but the size is only part of the appeal. He also has elite speed for a tight end. After some uneven early seasons, he kept developing and earned second-team All-Pro honors last season with 928 yards and five touchdowns.
The defensive side has its own crop of young contributors, starting with Zach Harrison? No - with Zach?
Wait source says Dorlus. When the Falcons drafted Dorlus in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, there was some uncertainty about where he fit, since he was viewed as somewhere between an edge rusher and an interior defensive lineman.
That question got even louder after he missed most of his rookie year with an abdominal injury.
Last season, Dorlus answered it. He led all NFC interior defensive linemen with 8.5 sacks. He has added bulk since Oregon without losing much of the speed and athleticism that made him intriguing in the first place, and that has turned him into a strong piece on this young defensive line.
The fit around him should only help. The Falcons kept defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, and Dorlus meshes well with defensive line coach Nate Ollie’s disruption system. At 25, the ceiling is still wide open.
James Pearce is another big reason this defensive front looks so promising. Coming off a rookie season in which he led all rookies with 10.5 sacks, he finished five ahead of second place and also outpaced fellow Falcon Jalon Walker.
Pearce’s first step and speed make him a nightmare for tackles, and even though he is on the lighter side for an edge, he can convert that speed into power and drive through blockers. He could still stand to add some size if he is going to help more against the run, but the 22-year-old has already shown he can wreck a game as a pass rusher. As long as Pearce stays out of trouble, he is another cornerstone for this young core.
Xavier Watts adds even more to the mix on defense. The rookie safety led all first-year players with five interceptions and finished fourth in rookie of the year voting. The Notre Dame product may not be the most explosive athlete on the field, but he has a sharp feel for the game, and his anticipation keeps putting him in the right place at the right time.
That kind of awareness matters, especially for a young safety. And with Jessie Bates beside him, Watts has a veteran-level partner to help speed up his development. Together, they form one of the league’s best safety duos.
The Falcons have young talent on both sides of the ball, and the next step will come as that group adjusts under new coaching and management. Once the quarterback situation is settled, there is enough here for Atlanta to compete.
In Other News...
Falcons Rookie Is Already Forcing A Tough O Line Decision
James Brockermeyer has spent the spring making himself hard to ignore in Falcons camp, and for an undrafted rookie center that is no small feat. He has earned first-team reps and put himself into the conversation for the backup job behind the starter, a spot that was supposed to be a straightforward depth role when Atlanta brought in Corey Levin.
Bill Callahans presence only adds to the intrigue, because the Falcons offensive line coach has clearly seen enough in Brockermeyer to keep giving him a longer look. With training camp still ahead, Atlanta does not have to make the call just yet, but the rookies rise has already turned a routine competition into one of the more interesting decisions on the offensive line. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Rookie Is Suddenly In The Middle Of A Real Camp Battle
Vinny Anthony II arrived in Atlanta as one of several undrafted free agents the Falcons added after the 2026 NFL Draft, and he has already done enough in rookie minicamp and OTAs to get noticed. The wide receiver out of Wisconsin is in the mix as training camp opens, with his work giving the coaching staff another option to sort through as the roster starts to take shape.
Anthonys path is made a little more interesting by the fact that he can help in more than one way, which is exactly the kind of trait that can keep an undrafted rookie around longer than expected. He has been part of the Falcons return man rotation this spring and can also line up as a gunner, but the real question now is whether that early buzz can carry through the rest of camp and keep him in the conversation for one of the final receiver spots. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Fans Just Got A New Way To Watch Key Games Locally
Falcons fans will have a new local option for watching some of the biggest games on the schedule starting in the 2026 NFL season, thanks to a new agreement between Atlanta News First and ESPN. The deal calls for select games to be simulcast on WANF in Atlanta and produced by ESPN, giving the station a bigger role in the teams local television footprint while adding another layer to the way the market follows the Falcons.
Two games are already locked in for 2026, including the Week 4 meeting with the Saints, and there is also a chance the station could pick up one more later in the year depending on how the schedule breaks. The arrangement also broadens Atlanta News Firsts sports reach beyond football, since it now includes all four major Atlanta pro teams, and there is already a path for more Falcons games to land there in 2027 if the team ends up on ESPN or NFL Network. [Read more 🡒]