The Falcons completed the first week of training camp, and we’ve learned a lot about the current state of the roster. Here’s our latest roster projection based on our observations from Flowery Branch.
The Atlanta Falcons completed the first week of training camp, and we’ve learned a lot about the current state of the roster. Some battles have delivered expected results, while others have been surprising to downright shocking. Atlanta’s defense has punched back against the offense despite the supposed talent disparity, giving fans a lot of hope that this team could be better than expected in 2025.
Of course, hope always springs eternal at this stage of the season. I’m here to bring you my observations from the first five practices and how I expect Atlanta’s roster to look based on what we’ve seen so far. Most position groups are panning or more-or-less as expected, with a few notable changes that could have wide-ranging (positive!) consequences for the team’s depth. Let’s take a closer look at how the 53-man roster is shaking out heading into preparation for the first preseason game.
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Italics denote a change from the previous roster projection.
OFFENSE – 24
Quarterback – 3
Michael Penix Jr.
Kirk Cousins
Easton Stick
Michael Penix Jr. has quieted all doubters through the first week of training camp, littering the internet with highlight reel throws to a multitude of receivers. His short passing still needs work, especially in the red zone, but the arm talent and explosive plays give Penix an incredible NFL ceiling. Kirk Cousins looks fully healthy and has had an efficient training camp thus far. He’s clearly the best backup QB in the NFL, and I still think he’ll be starting for another team before Week 1. Easton Stick has been a solid QB3, but we likely won’t see much of note from him until the preseason.
Running Back – 3
Bijan Robinson
Tyler Allgeier
Carlos Washington Jr.
Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier are as expected: awesome and dominant. There will be 2RB packages, and Bijan will be used as a receiver more in 2025. With Jase McClellan waived before camp, the RB3 spot is currently held by former UDFA Carlos Washington Jr. He’s got the clear advantage thanks to his tenure with the team, but UDFA Nate Carter is one to watch.
Tight End – 3
Kyle Pitts
Charlie Woerner
Teagan Quitoriano
Kyle Pitts has been on a snap limit, but is showing a clear connection with Penix, who has targeted him early and often throughout training camp. Charlie Woerner retains his 2024 role as the primary blocking tight end. TE3 appears to be held pretty securely by Teagan Quitoriano, a former fifth-round pick of the Houston Texans. He’s been an efficient receiver and solid blocker, and has played quite a bit with the starters when Pitts has been sidelined.
Wide Receiver – 6
Drake London
Darnell Mooney
Ray-Ray McCloud
KhaDarel Hodge
Jamal Agnew
Chris Blair
The good news is that Drake London and Ray-Ray McCloud have been awesome thus far, with London clearly in line to be Penix’s favorite target. Darnell Mooney was injured on the first day of camp going up for a deep catch in the endzone, and it’s anyone’s guess when he’ll return. Week 1 seems likely, but the team has been vague about the nature of the injury and Mooney’s timeline.
In Mooney’s absence, the Falcons have rotated a number of receivers with the first team. KhaDarel Hodge, Jamal Agnew, Chris Blair, and David Sills Jr. have been the biggest beneficiaries thus far. Hodge and Agnew are safe, as both are key special teams players—although Agnew does seem to have something to offer as a receiver as well. Chris Blair has a good connection with Penix and Cousins and should be the favorite for WR6 at the moment. David Sills Jr. has been the biggest surprise of this group so far, as he’s been Cousins’ favorite target and has quickly worked his way into the starting rotation. UDFA Nick Nash has been climbing the ranks of the UDFA receivers and is frequently working with the 2nd-team, but looks like a long shot for the 53-man roster at this junction.
Offensive Line – 9
LT Jake Matthews
LG Matthew Bergeron
C Ryan Neuzil
RG Chris Lindstrom
RT Kaleb McGary
T Storm Norton
G/T Elijah Wilkinson
G Kyle Hinton
C Jovaughn Gwyn
Not much of note with the starters, although the starting offensive line has performed quite well overall. Ryan Neuzil has looked stout as a blocker, although there have been a few errant snaps through the first week. Most of the intrigue is with the depth unit, which has struggled against Atlanta’s starters—particularly on the interior. Storm Norton is clearly the top tackle, but it’s actual been Brandon Parker primarily working with the 2s.
In terms of the roster, I think I value Elijah Wilkinson and Kyle Hinton over Parker at this stage. I don’t think Jovaughn Gwyn has played particularly well, but there’s literally no other compelling options. A veteran backup at center seems likely before Week 1. Rookie Jack Nelson has gotten a little run with the 2s, but seems firmly behind Norton and Parker at this stage. He’ll need to show out in the preseason to claim a spot on the 53, which is still very possible.
DEFENSE – 26
Edge Defender – 6
Arnold Ebiketie
Leonard Floyd
Jalon Walker
James Pearce Jr.
Khalid Kareem
Bralen Trice
This group has been a very pleasant surprise thus far, even with rookie Jalon Walker missing half the practices. That’s thanks to fellow rookie James Pearce Jr. arguably being the star of training camp, with consistent disruption (both in terms of production and attitude) against the starting offensive line. He looks better than advertised and could claim a significant role early on.
The other nice surprise has been Khalid Kareem, who joined the practice squad last season. He’s been a consistently good player on the edge and has even rotated in with the starters at times. Kareem has been playing ahead of Bralen Trice and absolutely looks deserving of a spot on the 53. Speaking of Trice, he looks healthy and has been steadily climbing the depth chart. He appears of the verge of cracking the 2nd team rotation, which he’ll need to do to secure a roster spot. I still feel confident he’ll make the team.
Interior Defensive Line – 6
David Onyemata
Ruke Orhorhoro
Morgan Fox
Zach Harrison
Brandon Dorlus
Kentavius Street
I’ve reshuffled the position labels of some of these players with the Falcons sticking to roughly 75% 3-4 fronts through the first week of training camp. David Onyemata is the starting 1T nose tackle and has played the majority of snaps there. Given the absence of any compelling competition, it seems clear he’ll be on the roster Week 1. Ruke Orhorhoro has been the most impressive player on the interior thus far, making plays from a variety of alignments. He’s been everything we could hope for and would be my pick to be the best player on the interior.
Zach Harrison and Brandon Dorlus have also made their fair share of plays, and both are firmly in the 1st/2nd team rotation. Veteran Morgan Fox has played a lot with the starters but has had the quietest camp of the bunch, he may be usurped by Dorlus sooner than later. We may see Atlanta cut this group down to five if needed, but right now the sixth spot appears to be a battle between Ta’Quon Graham and Kentavius Street. Street’s advantage is that he seems to have bulked up to 315 to play nose tackle, and he’s the only other player capable of that role. Graham is more versatile and has made more plays thus far, so we’ll see how that plays out. This is also a spot where we could see the team look to add a more traditional NT after final cuts.
Linebacker – 4
Kaden Elliss
Divine Deablo
Troy Andersen
JD Bertrand
No changes so far to this group, although we haven’t had a chance to see Troy Andersen yet. Andersen spent the first week of camp on PUP but appears close to returning, which he’ll need to do at some point to secure his roster spot. Kaden Elliss and Divine Deablo are playing almost all the snaps at linebacker with the starters, with JD Bertrand and veteran Caleb Johnson playing with the second-team. As long as Andersen comes back soon, I don’t expect many changes here. If Andersen isn’t back or may not be able to start the season, this is definitely a spot for a veteran addition after final cuts.
Cornerback – 6
A.J. Terrell
Mike Hughes
Dee Alford
Natrone Brooks
Billy Bowman Jr.
Cobee Bryant
Perhaps the most interesting battle on the entire roster is taking place at cornerback, but it’s not the battle you might have expected. For starters, Dee Alford appears to be the favorite for the slot starting role after the first week. Billy Bowman is right behind him, and it wouldn’t be shocking to see Bowman eventually overtake Alford—either during the preseason, or regular season. Instead, the biggest battle has been for the depth outside corner jobs, with a couple of surprising names making a big push.
Natrone Brooks, a college safety who converted to slot corner with the Falcons, is now playing almost exclusively on the outside. And he’s been good, as Brooks has frequently been matched up with Drake London. London’s gotten the better of him, but Brooks also had the first Penix interception of camp on Thursday and broke up a pass to London in the endzone on Tuesday. He looks to have a secure hold on a 53-man spot, and his flexibility to play in the slot only helps his case. Opposite Brooks, former UDFA Lamar Jackson has impressed with a flashy opening performance and consistent play. He’s got the size that Ulbrich is looking for on the outside, which might be why Clark Phillips III has largely been relegated to the depth unit.
Speaking of Phillips, I no longer think his roster spot is safe. He’s pretty clearly on the outside looking in at this point, and I’d argue that both Brooks and Jackson are ahead of him. I’m leaving Cobee Bryant on my roster over Phillips despite him only practicing for the first time on Tuesday, as I think Bryant will get every opportunity to make his case over the remainder of camp and preseason.
Safety – 4
Jessie Bates III
Xavier Watts
Jordan Fuller
DeMarcco Hellams
This room is absolutely rock-solid, and the battle between rookie Xavier Watts and veteran Jordan Fuller could come down to the wire. Watts and Fuller have rotated between the 1st and 2nd team throughout camp, and I’d expect that to continue for the time being. Both have looked solid, but haven’t had many opportunities to make an impact thanks to the strong play of both Penix and Cousins. DeMarcco Hellams has been very active with the 2nd team as well. I think all four of these players are roster locks. The only question is whether the Falcons want to roster a fifth safety, but none of the guys on the roster seem worth the spot at this stage.
SPECIAL TEAMS – 3
K Younghoe Koo
P Bradley Pinion
LS Liam McCullough
RETURNERS
KR Jamal Agnew/Ray-Ray McCloud
PR Jamal Agnew
The Falcons began the Great Kicking Competition during Sunday’s practice, with newcomer Lenny Krieg winning the first battle with aplomb. Tuesday’s practice was a dead heat, with both Krieg and Younghoe Koo going 4/5 and missing from beyond 50. If Krieg can keep this up, Koo’s roster spot is likely in danger thanks to his sky-high cap hit. Koo needs to win handily, but his history with the team and status as a fan favorite still give him the slight edge. This battle will likely be decided in the preseason.
PRACTICE SQUAD – 16
QB Emory Jones
RB Nate Carter
WR David Sills Jr.
WR Casey Washington
WR Nick Nash
TE Joshua Simon
T Brandon Parker
T Jack Nelson
C/G Joshua Gray
EDGE/LB DeAngelo Malone
DT Ta’Quon Graham
LB Caleb Johnson
CB Clark Phillips III
CB Lamar Jackson
DB Josh Thompson
K Lenny Krieg
What are your thoughts on this potential roster for the Falcons?