Kendal Daniels may end up being the piece that tilts the Falcons’ Week 5 matchup with the Ravens.
Atlanta has spent the first month shuffling its second linebacker spot next to Divine Deablo, and the rookie has been right in the middle of it. Harold Perkins Jr. and Daniels have both logged meaningful snaps and shown why the Falcons like them, but Jeff Ulbrich’s usage has swung back and forth depending on the opponent.
In the first two weeks against the Steelers and Panthers, Daniels played more than Perkins on defense, 86 snaps to 50, which worked out to 63 percent to 37 percent. Then the roles flipped in Weeks 3 and 4 against the Packers and Saints, when Perkins went ahead 95 to 54, or 64 percent to 36 percent. The pattern has been inconsistent, but the Falcons have clearly been playing the matchup.
That makes sense based on what each rookie brings. When Atlanta was trailing early against Pittsburgh and Carolina, the defense had to lean harder into run support, and that’s where Daniels is strongest. When the Falcons got out in front of Green Bay and New Orleans and spent more time dealing with the pass, Perkins’ coverage ability pushed him into the bigger role.
Sunday Night Football should bring a different kind of test. Even if Lamar Jackson is unlikely to play, the Ravens are still expected to lean on the run with Tyler Huntley at quarterback, and that should put Daniels back in line for a heavier workload.
The matchup matters because Baltimore still has plenty of punch on the ground. The Falcons are one of just three teams with more rushing yards this season than the Ravens, and Derrick Henry remains the headliner. In 2026, Henry leads all running backs in carries and rushing touchdowns, and even at 32 he’s still producing like a force.
Atlanta’s run defense has been the best in the league through four weeks, but the competition hasn’t matched what’s coming now. Jaylen Warren, Chuba Hubbard, MarShawn Lloyd and Alvin Kamara are a solid group, but none of them brings the same kind of challenge as Henry.
Daniels has already flashed the kind of playmaking Atlanta needs. His early tackles for loss against the Packers stood out, and his two TFLs lead all Falcons linebackers. That total is more than Perkins and Deablo have combined, with 1.5 between them, which gives Daniels a real case if the goal is disrupting runs in the backfield.
Ulbrich also pointed out Thursday that the rookie is learning multiple spots in the defense and is even getting looks along the defensive line, where his run-stopping value could rise even more.
That versatility fits the player. Daniels played all over the field at Oklahoma in the role Brent Venables called “the "Cheetah".” At 6-foot-5 and 242 pounds, and with the kind of athletic profile that made him a converted safety like Deablo, he has the tools to handle a wide-ranging job.
If the Falcons are going to slow Henry down, they need defenders they trust against the run. And if Daniels keeps showing he can make those plays, this matchup could be the night he takes on a bigger piece of the defense.
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