The Falcons have added multiple new faces to inside linebacker, but the sure things are few and far between.
Inside linebacker is not at the top of the list of needs for the Atlanta Falcons, but it is still a position with more question marks than the Riddler’s favorite pajamas. Outside of one established veteran about to hit 30 years of age, the group is young players who are new to the team and young players who either don’t profile as starters or have had their careers derailed by injury.
It all adds up to a very unsettled picture. I can’t tell you with a high degree of confidence how much Jalon Walker is going to play off-ball linebacker, whether Troy Andersen will be and can stay healthy, and whether Divine Deablo will grab and keep a starting job. That uncertainty means this is a group with one sure thing and many questions that will have to be answered over the summer; the ideal version of this group will offer the Falcons the potential to rotate players based on situations and could be a legitimate asset, while the worst case scenario has the Falcons leaning heavily on Elliss again with others struggling or hurt.
We’ll keep this one relatively brief because of that uncertainty, but let’s go.
Starter
Kaden Elliss
The one slam dunk in the group. Elliss is no great shakes in coverage, but he does just about everything else well, from consistently useful run defense to impactful pass rushing and solid tackling, even if he missed a few too many in that last category a year ago. The Falcons have at times figured ways to get Elliss going as a pressure player and it has paid massive dividends, but it’s the run defense that’s going to be especially key with the Falcons having a largely untested line working in front of him.
The Falcons should—and will try—to limit Elliss’s coverage responsibilities as much as is reasonable while keeping him on the field as much as possible to take advantage of everything else he does well. Durable, reliable, and at times phenomenal when he gets going, Elliss is one of the small handful of defenders the Falcons know they can rely on, which makes him an absolutely critical player in an unsettled position group.
In the mix
Troy Andersen, Divine Deablo
Andersen is on a fast track to becoming the latest in a line of tantalizing players who have had their careers wrecked by injury, joining Peria Jerry and Marlon Davidson as fairly recent examples of the genre. Andersen appeared in 17 games in an uneven but promising rookie season, but the past two years has been in just nine games, putting together a couple of dominant efforts in that limited sample size but otherwise either missing games entirely or looking something less than 100%.
If he’s healthy, Andersen still has the coverage ability and raw tools to be a useful starter, but the Falcons drafting Jalon Walker (who can play inside, more on that shortly) and signing Divine Deablo suggests they’re definitely not counting on it. Andersen’s fortunes likely depend entirely on his health, but he’ll go into the year at a bit of a disadvantage with that history.
Deablo, meanwhile, is the current favorite to step in as a starter next to Elliss because of Andersen’s injuries, and because the team gave him a contract that suggests they seem him as at least a short-term starter. Still fairly young and possessing legitimate speed, Deablo has shown real promise as a pass rusher and moments as a run defender and in coverage, though he’s had an uneven career to this point. The Falcons clearly liked him enough to pony up a hefty chunk of change for 2025.
It’s possible the Falcons will lean on Andersen’s strengths in coverage and Deablo’s promise as a pass rusher and try to divvy up snaps between the two of them, or that Elliss will get some breathers if all three are healthy. The summer will tell the tale.
Destined to rotate in
Jalon Walker
Walker is primarily going to play EDGE, but the team has talked up his versatility and he has plenty of experience as an off-ball linebacker from college. Whether he’ll be rushing the passer from that spot on third downs or filling in for struggling or injured options on early downs, Walker will get time here; we don’t know enough about the envisioned role for him or how the depth chart is going to shake out to say much beyond that.
Reserves and roster hopefuls
JD Bertrand, Caleb Johnson, Josh Woods, Nick Kubitz, Malik Verdon
Bertrand is the favorite to actually land a roster spot, assuming only one is available behind Elliss, Andersen, Walker, and Deablo. He was a capable special teamer last year despite a couple of missed tackles, generated four pressures and a sack on just 20 pass rushing snaps, and provided solid run defense. Bertrand’s flaws in coverage were on full display in his limited time as a starter and he needs to be a crisper tackler in both phases, but there’s enough here to make him a valuable reserve.
Johnson, Woods, and rookies Kubitz and Verdon will be vying for practice squad spots, in all likelihood, with two potentially available. Johnson and Woods are proven capable special teamers, while Kubitz will hope to show more than that and latch on because of some defensive upside. The most intriguing player in this mix might be Verdon, a hyper-physical safety in college that the team is listing as an inside linebacker. He’s likely to be a bit of a project, but if he looks good this summer, I’d view Verdon as a strong bet for the practice squad.