The Falcons’ 35-14 win over the Packers in Week 3 did more than hand Atlanta its most convincing result of 2026 so far. It also laid out, in plain view, how this roster is being used now that Michael Penix Jr. is back.
That was especially true on defense, where Jeff Ulbrich’s unit took control at Lambeau Field and the snap counts told a pretty clear story about who the Falcons trust and how they want to line up.
Up front, Atlanta’s base odd-front 3-4 still requires a nominal starter, but the real picture is a near-even split between Gervon Dexter Sr. and Maason Smith. Through three weeks, the offseason additions have logged 106 snaps for Dexter and 109 for Smith.
Brandon Dorlus led the group with 43 snaps, good for 65% of the total. Smith followed with 34 snaps, or 52%, while Dexter had 30 snaps at 45%. LaCale London and Zach Harrison each finished with 19 snaps, both at 29%.
Zach Harrison’s night carried real weight. After being cut, resigned to the practice squad, and then elevated back to the active roster, he played 44 snaps over the last two weeks, and his blocked field goal was a clear turning point in the game. That kind of moment makes his case impossible to ignore.
Bralen Trice is in a similar lane in terms of practice squad usage. The former third-round pick saw 32% of the defensive snaps, up from 21% in Week 1.
Since this was his second elevation from the practice squad, he has only one more left this season. The question now is simple: does he stick on the 53?
The edge rotation also showed a veteran getting more comfortable. Za’Darius Smith, who spent 2019 through 2021 with the Packers, saw his snap share keep climbing as he works back into football shape after injury.
His share has jumped from 24% to 42% to 50% in Week 3, and the production matches the usage. He finished with a team-leading 2.5 sacks.
Cameron Thomas played 45 snaps, which was 68% of the total. Za’Darius Smith followed with 33 snaps at 50%, Bralen Trice had 21 snaps at 32%, Yasir Abdullah logged 15 snaps at 23%, and Jared Ivey had 8 snaps at 12%.
There was also a noticeable shift between Abdullah and Ivey. Since Week 1, the Falcons have favored Abdullah’s speed over Ivey’s more traditional run-stopping profile, and that choice fits the way the defense is leaning around its dominant interior tandem of Smith and Dexter.
The linebacker usage brought another interesting switch. The Falcons flipped rookie linebackers Kendal Daniels and Harold Perkins Jr., with Daniels going 67%, 62%, and 38% across the first three weeks while Perkins went 34%, 39%, and 65%. Against a Packers offense dealing with injuries and struggling up front, Perkins’s speed in coverage seems to have won out over Daniels’s thumper style.
Divine Deablo played every snap, finishing at 66 for 100% of the total. Daniels had 25 snaps at 38%, while Perkins reached 43 snaps at 65%.
At receiver, the Falcons are clearly bringing rookie Zachariah Branch along slowly in the passing game, even if his return work is a different matter. Branch’s receiving snap shares have been 30%, 20%, and 18% through three weeks. He has 45 snaps overall and still trails Olamide Zaccheaus, who has 72, and even Chris Blair, who has 57.
Drake London led the way with 66 snaps, or 93%. Jahan Dotson had 47 snaps at 66%, Zaccheaus played 24 snaps at 34%, and both Blair and Branch finished with 13 snaps, or 18%, apiece.
Another 2026 draft pick getting eased in is Avieon Terrell, even though he has looked strong in limited work. His snap shares have been 34%, 39%, and 20% through three weeks.
In the secondary, C.J. Henderson has become a major talking point since A.J.
Terrell’s injury. Henderson played 63 snaps, which was 95%, while Mike Hughes logged 56 snaps at 85% and Avieon Terrell had 13 snaps at 20%.
Over the last two weeks, Henderson has been the Falcons’ best-performing defensive back, and the way he’s played has put him in position to keep CB2 once A.J. Terrell returns in a few weeks.
The next real checkpoint comes on Monday Night Football in New Orleans, where Darth Vader will be the clearest example yet of where this depth chart stands now and where it’s headed.
In Other News...
Falcons Fans Already Have A Coaching Debate They Didnt Expect
The first month of the season has already given Falcons fans something to chew on beyond the usual quarterback chatter: a coaching comparison they probably did not expect this soon. Atlanta brought in Kevin Stefanski to lead the way, and while the Falcons are 1-2, they did at least give themselves a timely lift with a primetime win over the Green Bay Packers. It is early, but the results are already inviting a conversation about how the new era in Atlanta is taking shape.
Elsewhere, Klint Kubiak has his new team rolling in Las Vegas, where the Raiders are 3-0 after a recent win over the New Orleans Saints. The parallel is hard for Atlanta fans to miss, since both hires were meant to steer their franchises in a new direction, and one of those directions is off to a much hotter start. For now, the Falcons can lean on the fact that Stefanski has already delivered a big-stage win, but the broader debate around the two coaching moves is only getting started. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Just Added To A Quarterback Debate Fans Will Enjoy
Around the league, Week 3 only sharpened the quarterback conversations that have already started to spill into the rest of the season, and the Falcons have to be paying close attention. Drake Mayes turnover issues have dragged the Patriots into frustration, while Deshaun Watson has looked much steadier as the Browns have picked up wins behind him. Jordan Loves early struggles have come with the usual mix of protection problems and accuracy concerns in Green Bay, leaving his outlook unsettled as the season settles in.
Kirk Cousins has been the steadier name in the group, guiding the Raiders offense with the kind of efficient play that keeps a team on schedule and a front office comfortable. For Atlanta, that kind of quarterback debate matters because it adds another layer to the league-wide picture of how quickly things can change at the position, and why every strong or shaky stretch gets noticed. The Falcons are still watching the broader discussion take shape, and the next few weeks should help clarify which of these passers is actually trending in the right direction. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Enter Saints Showdown With Something They Have Been Missing
The Falcons head into Monday night with a little momentum and a much-needed sense of life after their 35-14 road win over the Green Bay Packers. Michael Penix Jr. was back at quarterback, and Atlanta got strong outings from Bijan Robinson and Drake London, a combination that gave the offense a cleaner, more balanced look than it had shown earlier in the season.
Now comes a division matchup with New Orleans, and both teams arrive at 1-2 needing a reset more than a spotlight. The Saints are coming off a 35-27 loss to the Raiders, even with Chris Olave, Juwan Johnson and Tyler Shough providing some offense, so this one feels like an early chance for Atlanta to build on its best performance and see whether the pieces that clicked last week can hold up in a bigger spot. [Read more 🡒]