The Falcons may have found a younger version of Divine Deablo in Kendal Daniels, and Week 5 only sharpened that picture.
Atlanta leaned on the rookie linebacker in the 30-23 overtime loss to the Ravens, and he responded with the kind of all-over-the-field performance that sticks with a coaching staff. Daniels finished with a career-high eight tackles, seven of them solo, along with his first career sack, a pass breakup and a quarterback hit. He also logged 50 snaps, including 13 on the defensive line, while Harold Perkins Jr. played 25, according to PFF.
That usage fit the matchup. Jeff Ulbrich was staring down Derrick Henry and a Ravens ground game that posed a real challenge for Atlanta’s league-leading run defense, so the heavier Daniels workload felt deliberate.
The rookie had already flashed as a run defender early in the season, but this was another step. Just days earlier, Ulbrich had been talking up Daniels’ versatility, and the fourth-round pick backed it up.
The Falcons’ linebacker rotation has already shifted several times this season. In Weeks 1 and 2, Daniels started next to Deablo as the LB2 and played close to two-thirds of the defensive snaps, while Perkins handled the rest.
Then, with Atlanta playing from ahead in Weeks 3 and 4, Perkins saw more action because of his coverage ability. Against Baltimore, the balance swung back toward Daniels.
That matters because the role Daniels is growing into looks awfully close to what Atlanta asks Deablo to do. Both players were converted safeties, both bring rare athleticism, and both can handle a wide range of responsibilities. Daniels was drafted with the expectation that he could be Deablo’s long-term running mate, but his early play now raises a different possibility: he could become the successor.
Deablo signed a two-year deal before the 2025 season, which leaves him set to hit free agency this offseason. The idea of extending him has been mentioned, but Ian Cunningham has been intentional about how Atlanta wants to use its incoming 2027 cap space. With Daniels and Perkins both looking like real options, the Falcons have reason to think hard before committing big money to a linebacker they may be able to replace from within.
That logic is simple enough. If Atlanta already has two promising linebackers who will still have three years left on their rookie deals after this season, spending heavily on Deablo may not be the cleanest move. That money could go elsewhere, including a player like Jessie Bates III, while leaving room for other free-agent additions.
None of that makes Deablo unimportant. He absolutely matters to this defense.
But Daniels’ rise makes the front office’s draft logic look sharp. Atlanta seems to have planned for this possibility when it brought Daniels in, and now the rookie is giving them a real path to move forward if Deablo walks.
For the moment, Daniels is showing he can handle the assignment, and then some. He has the tools to do everything Deablo does, plus a little more versatility besides.
If this keeps going the way it’s started, the baton won’t just be waiting to be passed. It may already be in motion.
In Other News...
Michael Penix Injury Suddenly Looms Over Falcons After Crushing Loss
The Falcons overtime loss to the Ravens left more than just a mark in the standings, because Michael Penixs health quickly became the bigger concern. Penix had already gone down with a rib injury, briefly returned late in regulation, and then had to leave again as the discomfort built, leaving Atlanta to finish the game without its starter under center.
What happens next is still being sorted out as Penix is set for more testing, but the early indication is that this does not look like something that should keep him out long term. Even so, the timing is less than ideal for a Falcons team trying to steady itself, with a matchup against the Bears up next and a quarterback situation that suddenly needs a little clarity. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Blew A Huge NFC South Chance And Fans Know Why
The Falcons entered Sunday night with a real chance to make noise in the NFC South, but instead walked away from Baltimore with a 30-23 loss that stung in more ways than one. Atlanta, now coached by Kevin Stefanski, got a look at backup quarterback Tua Tagovailoa in his debut and watched the game swing on mistakes and missed stops as the Ravens kept finding answers in key moments.
Atlantas defense had trouble slowing Baltimores backup quarterback Tyler Huntley and the ground game, which left the Falcons chasing the game longer than they wanted. With the division race still there for the taking, this was the kind of night that can linger, because the Falcons did not just lose a game, they gave away an opening they badly needed to seize. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Already Have A Real Jeff Ulbrich Problem Brewing
Jeff Ulbrich has quickly become one of the more watched assistants in Atlanta, and not just because the Falcons defense has looked far sturdier than many expected. ESPNs Dan Graziano recently pointed to Ulbrichs rising profile around the league, a development that traces back to his interim head coaching stint with the Jets in 2024 and the kind of attention that often follows when a coordinator helps stabilize a unit.
For the Falcons, the concern is less about recognition than what comes next if that momentum turns into a head coaching opportunity. The bigger issue is that the staff could be forced to pivot again at a spot where continuity matters, and there is already one familiar name being discussed as a possible answer if Ulbrich moves on. Meanwhile, Atlanta can only watch and hope the defenses progress does not come with another major coaching shakeup attached. [Read more 🡒]