Falcons Final 53-Man Roster Projection: Who Makes the Cut?
The Atlanta Falcons have officially wrapped up the preseason, finishing with a 2-1 record after beating the Jacksonville Jaguars 28-12 on Saturday.
With OTAs, training camp and the exhibition contests fully in the books, the only left to do before the regular season kicks off is trim the roster from 80 to 53, which will occur by 4 p.m. Tuesday.
What could Atlanta's roster look like when it opens the season against the New Orleans Saints on Sept. 11? Let's find out.
Offense
Quarterbacks (3)
- Marcus Mariota
- Desmond Ridder
- Feleipe Franks
Mariota will enter the season as the starter, but with Ridder's strong preseason providing hope that he can be the long-term answer, it's more than possible that the rookie out of Cincinnati gets a handful of starts at the end of the season, especially if Atlanta is out of the playoff race.
Franks could've been categorized as a tight end, but regardless, with his ability to play multiple spots in addition to special teams, he's in solid position to make the roster.
Running back (4)
- Cordarrelle Patterson
- Damien Williams
- Tyler Allgeier
- Avery Williams
Expect Patterson and Damien Williams to carry most of the work early, while the rookie Allgeier should slowly see his touches increase as the season progresses. Avery Williams will be Atlanta's return specialist while potentially seeing designed touches in space on offense.
Preseason standouts Caleb Huntley and Qadree Ollison are also candidates to make the team and will almost certainly be practice squad candidates if they don't.
Fullback (1)
- Keith Smith
Smith has been a reliable presence for the Falcons at a position valued by head coach and offensive play-caller Arthur Smith. Last season, the Falcons ran the second-most 22 personnel (two backs; normally one runner and one fullback) and Smith played 24-percent of offensive snaps; he'll be back in a similar capacity this season.
Wide Receiver (5)
- Drake London
- Bryan Edwards
- Olamide Zaccheaus
- Damiere Byrd
- KhaDarel Hodge
London and Edwards aim to give the Falcons a young and dangerous receiver duo, while Zaccheaus and Byrd provide proven, solid complementary options. Hodge is a special teams ace who's had a good camp; he gets the nod over Frank Darby and Jared Bernhardt, both of whom are potential practice squad assets.
Having Patterson and tight end Kyle Pitts negates the need to carry additional receivers, as the two will see their fair share of snaps split outside.
Tight End (4)
- Kyle Pitts
- Anthony Firkser
- MyCole Pruitt
- Parker Hesse
Pitts is among the game's best tight ends, while Firkser has had a solid history of success with Smith. Pruitt, who signed with Atlanta in early August, will replace Lee Smith as the blocking tight end, a role rookie sixth-round pick John FitzPatrick was drafted to fill, but hasn't quite grown into. Hesse was held out of the preseason finale, an indication he's likely good to go.
Offensive Line (9)
- Jake Matthews, left tackle
- Elijah Wilkinson, left guard
- Matt Hennessy, center
- Chris Lindstrom, right guard
- Kaleb McGary, right tackle
- Germain Ifedi, swing tackle
- Drew Dalman, center
- Jalen Mayfield, left guard
- Colby Gossett, right guard
Mayfield is out while Wilkinson is in as the starting left guard. Matthews, who received an extension in the offseason, will be one of the pillars of Atlanta's line for several years, along with Lindstrom. Dalman and Hennessy have battled for the center position throughout training camp.
Notable names missing include rookies Justin Shaffer (left guard) and Leroy Watson (left tackle), who are logical practice squad options.
Defense
Defensive Line (5)
- Grady Jarrett, defensive tackle
- Anthony Rush, nose tackle
- Ta'Quon Graham, defensive tackle
- Abdullah Anderson, defensive end
- Marlon Davidson, defensive tackle
Jarrett will once again anchor the interior of Atlanta's defensive line. He'll be joined in base defense by Rush and Graham, a pair of players in their second season in Atlanta. Anderson was a late free agent pickup following an injury to Jalen Dalton, and he stood out in the final two preseason games. Davidson, who's currently battling a knee injury, will look to break out in his third season, though he'll enter the campaign on the back foot.
Two undrafted rookies - Timothy Horne and Derrick Tangelo - have had good camps and should be practice squad acquisitions.
Outside Linebacker (4)
- Lorenzo Carter
- Arnold Ebiketie
- DeAngelo Malone
- Adetokunbo Ogundeji
After ranking last in the league in sacks a year ago, the Falcons revamped their edge group, signing Carter from the New York Giants and drafting Ebiketie and Malone on day two. Still, it's Ogundeji, a second-year pro, who has the best chance to start opposite of Carter.
A name to monitor is Quinton Bell, a relative unknown entering camp. He blocked a punt in the preseason finale and has stood out at times coming off the edge defensively. Bell is viewed as a special teams stud who can bring immense value on fourth downs.
Off-Ball Linebacker (5)
- Rashaan Evans
- Mykal Walker
- Troy Andersen
- Nick Kwiatkoski
- Deion Jones
- Nate Landman
Evans thrived under Falcons defensive coordinator Dean Pees in Tennessee, while Walker has impressed the coaching staff throughout the offseason with his ability to understand and command the defense.
Kwiatkoski and Andersen fall on different ends of the spectrum; the former is a solid veteran depth piece, while the latter is an other-worldly athlete with huge upside but is still trying to grasp the mental aspect of the linebacker position.
Jones, who returned to the Falcons on Wednesday, is behind the 8 ball, but has Pro Bowl pedigree and could slowly work his way back into the lineup. The "surprise" of the list is Landman, an undrafted rookie from Colorado. He impressed during OTAs and continued to play well throughout the preseason.
Cornerback (5)
- A.J. Terrell
- Casey Hayward
- Isaiah Oliver
- Darren Hall
- Dee Alford
Terrell and Hayward are poised to form one of the league's top corner duos, while Oliver is the favorite to man the nickel position. Look for Hall to continue his upward trajectory after closing his rookie season strong and standout in camp. Alford, one of the stars of the preseason, has seen starting snaps at nickel, and might just end up working with the first team come Week 1.
Safety (4)
- Richie Grant
- Jaylinn Hawkins
- Erik Harris
- Dean Marlowe
Grant and Hawkins will look to prove that they can be Atlanta's future on the back end, while Harris and Marlowe offer veteran presences who can step in if needed.
The Falcons went thin at safety during preseason, with Henry Black being the lone projected cut. Oliver has seen snaps at safety during camp, so there has been some cross-training to expand depth.
Special Teams (3)
- Younghoe Koo, kicker
- Bradley Pinion, punter
- Liam McCullough, long snapper
Koo received a hefty contract extension this offseason after asserting himself as one of the top kickers in the league. Pinion, a veteran punter, offers a proven leg for Atlanta. McCullough replaces Pro Bowl long snapper Josh Harris. Beau Brinkley, a long snapper who's recovering from an injury, could find his way onto the practice squad.
