Who will emerge victorious in the contests for roles and roster spots?
The Atlanta Falcons camp battles on offense are mostly depth-related, but not so on defense. There, starting jobs and major rotational roles are up for grabs this summer, making this side of the ball the one with the most training camp-related intrigue.
What battles are set to come on defense and special teams? There are a few that come readily to mind.
Defensive line: Pecking order
Expected major contributors: Ruke Orhorhoro, Brandon Dorlus, Ta’Quon Graham, LaCale London, Eddie Goldman (?)
The reality is that Grady Jarrett and David Onyemata are the sure things here if they start, and Zach Harrison is virtually guaranteed a major role after the light bulb came on late last year and he looked like an absolute beast. That leaves everyone else in a deep group fighting for playing time, and I see anywhere from 4-5 players carving out those kinds of roles.
Orhorhoro should be one of them. I see and hear the concerns about his readiness to contribute, especially from a pass rushing and consistency standpoint, but my faith in this coaching staff’s ability to put him in a position to succeed and his natural talent is pretty high. The Falcons drafted him in the second round because they had a plan for him, and come hell or high water, we’re going to see that plan in action. The hope is that Orhorhoro does well with the snaps he’s given.
Dorlus, too, should step into a major role as a tough and relentless defender who figures to be an immediate passing down contributor. Graham has had his ups and downs but is a stout run defender, while London looked really good in his limited chances last year and figures to be quality depth. If Goldman sticks, he’s likely to play; if not, it opens the door for rookie Zion Logue to potentially soak up some nose tackle snaps early on.
Either way, this is an interesting, young group of guys who should be able to make some noise for Atlanta this year. The battles this summer should be fun to watch.
EDGE5: DeAngelo Malone, Bradlee Anae, Demone Harris
Will the Falcons even keep a fifth player in this group? There’s no guarantee of that, not with Arnold Ebiketie, Lorenzo Carter, Bralen Trice, and James Smith-Williams looking like the obvious top four options. But there’s always the possibility that Smith-Williams is pushed by someone, and that the Falcons will choose from their trio of young options to carry on the roster.
Malone would be my pick if they keep one. After a somewhat promising rookie campaign that saw Malone pick up a sack and prove to be a pretty sure tackler, he was effectively mothballed last year in Ryan Nielsen’s defense. With some promise in coverage and as a pass rusher, however, it’s possible the new coaching staff will see more that they like, giving Malone a possible shot to a roster spot.
If not, Anae might latch on for special teams work. Harris feels like a practice squad candidate again.
Expected winner: Malone
CB2: Clark Phillips, Antonio Hamilton, Mike Hughes, Kevin King
Expected winner: Phillips
There will be a spirited battle here, even if Phillips is my obvious favorite. As Aaron Freeman wrote the other day, the Falcons will look for the aggressive, physical Phillips to refine his tackling to cut down on missed opportunities, but I’m a big believer in the toolkit and the upside for the young cornerback. His coverage ability alone makes Phillips a player the Falcons need to invest in.
It’s unlikely Hughes will just roll over here, however, and Hamilton is a player I think fans are underrating. Both these players have significant starting experience, with Hamilton offering more consistency and frankly ability in coverage, while Hughes is a more consistent asset in run support. Both are surer tacklers than Phillips was in his rookie season.
King is here as an honorable mention because a starting-caliber cornerback with size and real ability did exist here, and if he somehow is healthy and re-discovers that form, he could push for the role. It’s an obvious longshot.
CB3: Dee Alford, Mike Hughes
Expected winner: Alford
Yes, I believe Hughes is likely to be in the mix at multiple spots, though i think his case for the nickel cornerback job is stronger than it is for a shot outside with Phillips and Hamilton competing there. No, I don’t expect him to win, instead landing a CB4/5 role as a versatile reserve for Atlanta.
The case for Alford is pretty straightforward. He’s a solid run defender and has been quietly pretty terrific in coverage the past two years, and Alford’s aggressive play and underrated physicality make him a nice fit for this defense. I expect Hughes will give him a legitimate battle, but this should be Alford’s job to lose, because he’s the better cornerback.
Strong safety: Richie Grant, DeMarcco Hellams
Expected winner: Grant
There are two legitimate contenders currently on the roster to work next to Jessie Bates, and barring a signing, it’s a pretty straightforward battle. It’s also one of the most consequential ones on this roster.
I’ll repeat what I wrote about Grant recently in the safety breakdown: He offers you a lot against the run and as a pass rusher, but the further away from the line of scrimmage Grant is and the more you ask him to do in coverage, the more problematic things get. He was arguably the team’s biggest coverage liability last year and a deeply inconsistent player, to the point where I found it difficult to keep up my usual reflexive defense of him. If the team and the player can help him make better split second decisions in coverage and get him to take better angles to the ball carrier, he could very well be an asset. Otherwise, he may need to be deployed more situationally, lest he be caught on an island in coverage at exactly the wrong moment.
Hellams made impressive strides in his first NFL season, going from special teamer to summer standout to starter, and he was as advertised against the run as a rugged, smart defender. The fact that he managed not to be a liability in coverage on top of that made me think he could seize a starting job over the long haul, regardless of what happens this year, and that he’s good enough and well-rounded enough to be assured he’ll get snaps even if he loses the battle to Grant.
Atlanta’s appreciation for Grant’s talent seems sincere, given Morris’s remarks in particular, but this battle will be settled on the practice field and in preseason. That makes it well worth keeping a close eye on, because Hellams is far from a slouch. Chances are the Falcons will deploy three safeties often enough that we’ll see plenty of both, regardless.
Kick returner: Ray-Ray McCloud, Avery Williams, etc.
Expected winner: McCloud and Williams
If healthy, Williams should be the team’s punt returner, because he was perhaps the best in the league at it in 2022. That leaves kick returner up for grabs, however, and McCloud will still likely mix in on punt returns because he’s pretty good at it in his own right.
While there are plenty of candidates—throw Bijan Robinson in there if you’d like, Isaiah Wooden would be electric if he made the roster, and so forth—that particular battle ought to be headlined by Ray-Ray McCloud and Williams. McCloud was signed in part because of his value as a kick and punt returner, so it would be shocking if he didn’t figure in here.
My expectation is that McCloud will be the first up as a kick returner given that he’s been a reliably solid option there, but the Falcons will likely mix and match as they adjust to the new kickoff rules (which we will be writing about here in the near future). The duo are about the same size—Williams is five pounds heavier—but McCloud has been better on kick returns throughout his career and has been a better fighting-through-traffic option as a runner and passer in his career than Williams to this point.
The fact that both are dynamic players—and a healthy Williams is an incredibly dangerous player with the ball in his hands—should give both a role on kickoffs. the Falcons are going to be infinitely better off in their hands than they were on returns throughout the 2023 season.