This is a group that had much more of a makeover than the offense, which I already covered. The Falcons have a lot of new faces on this list, which is a good thing with their defense being so poor in 2022. Hopefully, this is the year Atlanta can turn things around on the defensive side of the ball. There are a lot of potential tough cuts, so let’s get started. I’ll be updating this series as camp goes along with injuries and signings.
Interior Defensive Line (6):
IDL Grady Jarrett
IDL David Onyemata
IDL Calais Campbell
IDL Eddie Goldman
IDL Ta’Quon Graham
With the depth this group now has, I think the Falcons carry six true interior defenders compared to five last season. They went from arguably one of the thinnest positional groups in football to one of the deepest, so don’t expect a lot of the usual suspects.
EDGE (5):
EDGE Bud Dupree
EDGE Lorenzo Carter
EDGE Arnold Ebiketie
EDGE Zach Harrison
EDGE DeAngelo Malone
Another much improved group; I expect these guys to rotate heavily. A notable omission is 2021 fifth-round pick Ade Ogundeji, who is going to have to have an impressive camp to beat out the guys on this list and earn a spot.
Linebacker (4):
LB Kaden Elliss
LB Troy Andersen
LB Andre Smith
LB Mykal Walker
A tough group to get a read on; I have the Falcons rostering four linebackers compared to five last year. Mykal Walker is going to have an uphill battle to keep his spot with some veterans like Tae Davis coming in via free agency.
Cornerback (6):
CB AJ Terrell
CB Jeff Okudah
CB Darren Hall
CB Mike Hughes
CB Clark Phillips III
CB Tre Flowers
Another group that has seen massive improvement; I expect a tough battle for that last spot, with Flowers coming out on top. I don’t think Dee Alford and Cornell Armstrong will go down without a fight, though.
Safety (4):
S Jessie Bates III
S Richie Grant
S Jaylinn Hawkins
S DeMarcco Hellams
I predict the Falcons to roll with four safeties again, with DeMarcco Hellams earning a spot as a special teams warrior and box safety reserve.
Special Teams (3):
K Younghoe Koo
P Bradley Pinion
LS Liam McCullough
Par for the course, unless there are injuries, these guys will be your specialists.
53 Man Roster Count (Offense): 25
53 Man Roster Count (Defense): 25
53 Man Roster Count (Special Teams): 3
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Photographer: Ric Tapia/Icon Sportswire
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