The Atlanta Falcons have built one of the NFL’s best young cores, and that’s exactly why ESPN’s Future Power Rankings felt so off to me.
Atlanta landed at No. 27 in the rankings from Seth Walder, Ben Solak, Louis Riddick and Aaron Schatz, which puts the Falcons last in the NFC South and ahead of only five teams leaguewide. That’s a harsh spot for a team the rankings are supposed to measure from 2027 through 2029.
Solak made the case in blunt terms, saying teams ranked above Atlanta would “do anything” for the Falcons’ trio of running back Bijan Robinson, wide receiver Drake London and tight end Kyle Pitts. That’s not the kind of line you usually hear about a team buried near the bottom of a future forecast.
Robinson is a big reason the Falcons deserve more respect. Aaron Schatz noted that the former first-round pick led the NFL with 115 broken or forced missed tackles last season, and Atlanta as a team finished second in the league in that category. London and Pitts only add to the offensive foundation, giving the Falcons three young pieces most teams would love to have in place.
The issue, as ESPN sees it, is the quarterback spot. Michael Penix Jr. is still coming back from a torn ACL and hasn’t been cleared for full team drills. Tua Tagovailoa, who entered the summer as his competition, has already dealt with an injury during training camp.
That’s a real concern, but it still feels like too much weight on one problem when the rest of the roster looks this promising. Atlanta has an expensive young offensive core, promising young defenders and a new coaching staff. If the quarterback answer shows up, the whole outlook changes fast.
And since this ranking is focused on the 2027-to-2029 window, the Falcons still have time to line it up. They could draft a rookie in 2027, keep the current offensive talent in place and land a quarterback who fits the timeline cleanly.
That’s why No. 27 feels too low. The quarterback question matters, but Atlanta has enough young talent everywhere else to believe it has a better chance of climbing than this ranking suggests.
In Other News...
Falcons Fans Just Got Another Reason To Revisit The Darnell Mooney Move
The Falcons moved on from Darnell Mooney earlier this offseason, then pivoted by bringing in Jahan Dotson to fill the WR2 spot, a swap that made Atlantas receiver reshuffle one of the more notable roster decisions of the summer. Mooney, meanwhile, landed a one-year deal with the New York Giants, a fresh start that was supposed to give him a chance to re-establish his value in a new offense.
Instead, his standing in New York has already become part of the conversation, with Mooney sitting behind other receivers on the depth chart and the Giants reportedly weighing trade options. For Falcons fans, it is another little reminder that the teams choice to move on was not just about making room for Dotson, but about betting the receiving room could look different very quickly if the market and the roster both keep shifting. [Read more 🡒]
Michael Penix Jrs Recovery Just Raised The Stakes In Atlantas QB Race
Michael Penix Jr. is moving through the next phase of his recovery from a knee injury, and the timing matters more now because Atlanta still has not settled its quarterback decision for the season. He has been working in 7-on-7 drills, but full participation is still waiting on a doctors clearance, leaving the Falcons in a holding pattern as they sort through the competition under center.
Tua Tagovailoa is currently leading the race, but Penix remains very much in the mix if he gets the green light soon enough to get back into 11-on-11 work. For Atlanta, the appeal is obvious: the longer Penix stays in position to push, the more pressure there is on the staff to weigh not just health, but timing, readiness and how much practice time he can still bank before the season arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Former Falcons Star Kroy Biermann Faces A Painful Family Spotlight
A troubling family development has pushed former Falcons linebacker Kroy Biermann back into the spotlight, this time for reasons far removed from football. His son, Kroy Biermann Jr., was arrested and is being held without bond after facing aggravated sodomy and aggravated sexual battery charges, according to the available facts. The alleged incident is said to have taken place on April 23, 2026, in a Lifetime Fitness changing room, adding another difficult chapter for a family that has long lived in public view.
Biermann Jr. was arraigned on Aug. 17, 2026, with attorney Jason Sheffield listed as his representative. For Falcons fans who remember Kroy Biermann as a steady defensive presence during his Atlanta years, the case is a stark and painful reminder of how quickly an athletes post-career life can be overshadowed by personal turmoil around him. [Read more 🡒]