The Falcons can talk all they want about their young core, but the league’s real currency is elite talent under 25, and Atlanta is short on it.
That’s the backdrop to ESPN’s Aaron Schatz ranking of NFL teams by how much talent they have in that age range. Atlanta landed 22nd, and Schatz pointed to a birthday quirk that helped drag the number down. The Falcons’ top offensive names are all right on the edge.
"Atlanta's top offensive stars are 25 or close to it," Schatz wrote. "Pitts turned 25 in October.
London will be 25 on Friday. Robinson will turn 25 in late January, so he's the only one of the three players who still qualifies."
Drake London was 24 at the time of publication, but has since turned 25. Kyle Pitts is already 25 and will turn 26 in October. That leaves Bijan Robinson as the only member of Atlanta’s offensive trio still under 25, and he’s the only one of the three without a new contract.
There is one more young offensive name in the mix in Zachariah Branch, but he has not taken an NFL snap yet, so it’s far too early to treat him like a building block.
On defense, the Falcons do have a few players who fit the age profile. Jalon Walker, James Pearce Jr., Xavier Watts and rookie Avieon Terrell are all under 25.
But that group comes with real uncertainty. Pearce is dealing with legal troubles and could be suspended.
Walker is still adjusting to a new role. Terrell is unproven.
So while Atlanta can point to a few promising pieces, the overall picture is thinner than the buzz around this roster suggests. Schatz’ ranking reflects that. And if the quarterback situation keeps dragging, none of it will matter much anyway.
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The timing is especially tough because Thompson was already facing an uphill climb to make the roster, and now he has even less room to make up ground. Atlanta will keep sorting through its defensive line depth as camp goes on, with Thompson needing to get healthy and rejoin the competition before the conversation about the final spots starts to narrow. [Read more 🡒]