2024 NFL Season Preview: Atlanta Falcons

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Atlanta Falcons (Last Year: 7-10)



Season Summary:
The Falcons had a chance to win the division, but the incompetent Arthur Smith ruined things by leaning on lesser-talented players. Smith was correctly dismissed, so the Falcons will be better coached in 2024.



2024 NFL Season Preview:

Veteran Additions:
QB Kirk Cousins, WR Darnell Mooney, WR Rondale Moore, WR Ray-Ray McCloud, TE Charlie Woerner, DE Matthew Judon, CB Antonio Hamilton, S Justin Simmons.
Early Draft Picks:
QB Michael Penix Jr., DT Ruke Orhorhoro, DE Bralen Trice, DT Brandon Dorlus, LB JD Bertrand. Falcons Rookie Forecast
Offseason Losses:
QB Desmond Ridder, RB Cordarrelle Patterson, WR Mack Hollins, WR Van Jefferson, TE Jonnu Smith, TE MyCole Pruitt, DE Calais Campbell, DE Bud Dupree, CB Jeff Okudah.

2024 Atlanta Falcons Offense:
There was some miserable quarterbacking in the NFL this past season, but no team had worse quarterbacking from start to finish than the Falcons. Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke were both atrocious, so it was clear that no team needed an upgrade at the position more than Atlanta. This is why the Falcons spent $100 million on Kirk Cousins. While Cousins is 36 (as of August) and is coming off a torn Achilles, he represents a much better option to lead the Falcons into the playoffs.

And then, the draft pick happened. The Falcons inexplicably spent the No. 8 overall selection on Michael Penix Jr. when an elite pass rusher like Laiatu Latu could have taken their defense to the next level. The only possible explanation for the decision is that Cousins didn’t look right coming off his torn Achilles and Atlanta recognized him as a sunk cost. If so, it was the correct decision; otherwise, the Falcons, who were expected to contend for the Super Bowl, wasted an extremely valuable resource.

The Falcons also could have used a viable No. 2 receiver like Rome Odunze. Drake London has performed well as a former first-round pick despite playing with terrible quarterbacks. He’s expected to have the best season of his career, as is tight end Kyle Pitts, who has yet to reach his enormous potential. Atlanta didn’t have a viable second receiver last year, and that still may not be the case despite the $30 million it spent on Darnell Mooney. The former Bear had a quality season a couple of years ago, but hasn’t done anything since.

Of course, Atlanta’s most dangerous threat is Bijan Robinson. Former head coach Arthur Smith didn’t quite understand this because he insisted on giving touches to Cordarrelle Patterson instead. The Falcons’ new coaching staff will undoubtedly realize that Robinson needs as many touches as possible. Robinson could be in play for most yards from scrimmage this year.

The Falcons will have a quality offensive line blocking for Robinson. Their tackle tandem is outstanding, as Jake Matthews and Kaleb McGary will reprise their roles. There’s some age concern with Matthews, who turned 32 this offseason, but he showed no signs of slowing down last year. Conversely, McGary just keeps getting better each year.

The interior has some terrific blockers as well. Chris Lindstrom is one of the top guards in the entire league. Drew Dalman, a former fourth-round pick, made great strides last season and became one of the better centers in the NFL. The other guard, Matthew Bergeron, wasn’t nearly as good as Lindstrom or Dalman, but he was a second-round rookie. He has the potential to make big improvements to his game as well.



2024 Atlanta Falcons Defense:
Though the Falcons needed an elite pass rusher like Laiatu Latu, that’s not to say that they struggled to get to the quarterback last year. In fact, they were ranked 10th in pressure rate. However, Atlanta didn’t have a dynamic edge rusher who led the way with double-digit sacks. Instead, it was more of a collective effort to get to the quarterback, as three players logged either six or 6.5 sacks.

Two of those players, however, are not on the roster. One is Bud Dupree, as he’ll be replaced by 2023 third-rounder Zach Harrison, who didn’t do much as a rookie. The other is Calais Campbell, who signed with Miami in June. With Campbell gone, Atlanta will have a mediocre defensive front, as Harrison will be joined by David Onyemata and Grady Jarrett. The latter has been a mainstay on the Atlanta defensive line for quite some time, but missed the end of last season with an injury. Onyemata had an excellent first season with the Falcons after signing over from New Orleans.

The Falcons were able to get a decent pass rush from Arnold Ebiketie as well, though the sack number (6) didn’t quite show it. Still, the Falcons could have used Latu as a dynamic bookend for Ebiketie. Instead, it’ll be the mediocre Lorenzo Carter unless third-round rookie Bralen Trice pushes for the job.

Atlanta could always use Kaden Ellis as a starting edge rusher, though he’s currently slated to be an off-ball linebacker. Ellis is an extremely versatile player who can cover, rush the passer, and help in run support. He’ll start next to Nate Landman, who came out of nowhere last year as a former undrafted free agent to have an excellent season as a three-down player.

The Falcons are top-heavy in the secondary, so their lesser players could have really used a better pass rush to aid them. A.J. Terrell is a phenomenal cornerback, but there isn’t much across from him. Clark Phillips, a fourth-round pick from the 2023 NFL Draft, is the favorite to start, but he struggled as a rookie. Dee Alford is at least a solid nickel corner.

At safety, the Falcons are led by former Bengal Jessie Bates, who did not disappoint in his first season with the team. Bates was exceptional, but there’s some question as to who will start next to him. The options are DeMarcco Hellams and Richie Grant, both of whom struggled last year.





2024 Atlanta Falcons Schedule and Intangibles:
Matt Ryan was 58-39 at home. However, the Falcons have been a poor 44-47 as a host over the past 10 years, so perhaps the magic has vanished.

Master of the onside kick, Younghoe Koo was 32-of-37 last year. He hit just 3-of-6 from 50-plus.

Bradley Pinion was ranked in the middle of the pack in net punting last year, but did a good job of placing the ball inside the 20.

Atlanta has a balanced schedule. Two of its first three opponents are the Eagles and Chiefs, but there are plenty of easy opponents on the schedule as well.



2024 Atlanta Falcons Rookies:
Go here for the Falcons Rookie Forecast, a page with predictions like which rookie will bust and which rookie will become a solid starter.



2024 Atlanta Falcons Positional Rankings (1-5 stars):

Quarterbacks		Offensive Line		Secondary
Running Backs		Defensive Line		Special Teams
Receivers		Linebackers		Coaching