The Falcons keep circling back to one familiar pipeline as Ian Cunningham settles into his first offseason running Atlanta’s front office: players he helped bring into Chicago.
That trend has already shown up once with DT Gervon Dexter Sr., and it surfaced again this week when Atlanta added another former Cunningham draft pick, signing DT Zacch Pickens to the practice squad after bringing him in for a visit on Tuesday. To make room, the Falcons released Carlos Allen Jr.
Pickens entered the league as a third-round pick of the Bears in 2023, going 64th overall, 11 spots ahead of where Atlanta selected Zach Harrison. He spent his first two seasons in Chicago before getting released during final roster cuts last summer, which set him up for the 2025 season elsewhere.
The 26-year-old landed with Kansas City in 2025, mostly on the practice squad, then spent the summer with the New York Giants before being cut again at final roster trim. Now he gets another shot at sticking in Atlanta, either on the active roster down the line or on the practice squad for now.
On paper, the fit is easy to see. Pickens checks in at 6-foot-4 and 300 pounds, the kind of body type that fits what Atlanta is building up front. Cunningham has made it clear the Falcons want “big, powerful rugged, violent, explosive” players along the defensive line.
The production has not caught up to the traits yet, but the upside is still there. His South Carolina tape shows a player who can clog space and give a defensive line coach like Nate Ollie something to work with.
For now, the Falcons are betting there’s still something to unlock, and Pickens looks like the latest former Bears draft pick who might get a fresh start under Cunningham in Atlanta.
In Other News...
Falcons Face A Jessie Bates Decision That Could Reshape The Roster
The Falcons are already looking past their 2026 opener with one eye on the quarterback room, but another roster decision could end up carrying even more long-term weight. Second-year safety Xavier Watts is part of the picture, yet the bigger name is Jessie Bates III, who has continued to draw recognition for his play while moving into the final year of his contract.
Bates has become one of the more important pieces on the roster, and what Atlanta does next could shape both its defensive stability and its financial flexibility. An extension would not only keep a proven veteran in place, it could also help the Falcons manage their salary cap situation, leaving the front office with a choice that feels increasingly tied to the teams bigger plans. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Depth Chart Sends An Early Message About Key Roles
The Falcons first official Week 1 depth chart offered an early snapshot of how the staff is sorting out jobs as the season opens, and it already comes with a few notable labels attached. Tua Tagovailoa is listed as the starting quarterback, while rookies Kendal Daniels and Avieon Terrell have both landed in starting roles at linebacker and in the secondary, giving the chart an immediate dose of youth in key spots.
It also hints at a rotation that may be broader than the order suggests. Zachariah Branch is placed lower on the depth chart, but his role still looks likely to extend beyond that spot, which is a reminder that the first version of these charts often reflects structure more than final usage. For Atlanta, the real takeaway is less about who is penciled in where and more about how quickly those early decisions will hold once the games start. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Face A Far Different Steelers Test Than Fans Might Expect
The Falcons 2026 opener in Pittsburgh comes with a very different feel than the one Atlanta fans have been used to seeing from the Steelers in recent years. A team that long carried the image of Mike Tomlins hard-edged consistency now enters the season with Mike McCarthy in charge, and the matchup also carries an odd layer of familiarity for Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski, who knows the Steelers well enough to understand how much changing the sideline can alter the tone of a game.
What makes the trip to Pittsburgh particularly interesting is the sense that this offense is being built to look less like the old Steelers blueprint and more like something McCarthy has shaped before. The ground game still has Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle in the mix, but the bigger question is how quickly the pieces fit together around a more dynamic approach, especially with a quarterback who has spent plenty of time in McCarthys world before. [Read more 🡒]