5 Biggest Takeaways as Falcons Wrap Up Mandatory Minicamp

FLOWERY BRANCH – The Atlanta Falcons put a bow on their mandatory minicamp and offseason program on Wednesday. They now wave goodbye to one another until they re-convene at the end of July for training camp and the true countdown to the 2026 NFL regular season.

As we wrap up the formal offseason, Falcons OnSI emptied out the notebook from Wednesday’s final minicamp practice at Flowery Branch.

Red-Zone Offense A Priority

The Falcons were operating some third-and-goal situations, rotating between Tua Tagovailoa (who was with the first unit) and Michael Penix Jr. for 7-on-7s.

Tagovailoa was 2-of-5 (one of those incompletions was flagged for a defensive holding), with a pair of touchdowns. Kyle Pitts caught the first one over the middle, and Olamide Zaccheaus made a highlight grab in the back of the end zone on a nice Tagovailoa high-pointed throw. Zaccheaus got both feet down, toeing the end zone boundary for the score.

Aside from the holding call, the veteran had two passes that were akin to throwaways due to coverage.

As for Penix, he was 3-of-5 (three scores, one of the incompletions was a throwaway). He threw a bullet to Casey Washington, found Nate Carter (who somehow came away uncovered in the middle), and Dylan Drummond hit Darnay Holmes with a nasty release off the line of scrimmage – Holmes would later get his revenge, ending the period with a pass breakup.

Injury Updates

There were not many changes from Tuesday’s injury update, but we did officially get some updates on presumed third quarterback Trevor Siemian. Kevin Stefanski explained ahead of practice that he would be held out again on Wednesday during team activities (participating in individual drills), but would be ready for training camp without restraint.

As for Drake London and Xavier Watts, who were both held out during the first day of minicamp (London for team activities and Watts for the entirety of practice), it was simply a precaution from Kevin Stefanski. He said Wednesday that he is not overly concerned about either player and that they could have pushed through, but they’re being careful.

Otherwise, linebackers Kendal Daniels, JD Bertrand, and Troy Andersen, safeties Xavier Watts and DeMarcco Hellams, cornerback Billy Bowman III, offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor, and edge DeAngelo Malone stood to the side during practice, as they have throughout the last several media viewing periods. Rookie defensive lineman Anterio Thompson was not seen.

Secondary Makeup

Natrone Brooks is cross-training at safety and was with the group during individual sessions for the second day in a row. Stefanski highlighted before practice how “versatility is a great thing for a football player,” and that will serve him well as he fights for a roster spot this summer.

Brooks rotated with Sydney Brown next to cemented starter Jessie Bates III again on Wednesday, while Brown rotated down with A.J. Woods and Darnay Holmes at the nickel.

Brown would make a lot of sense for the Falcons’ secondary if they were to need a bit more pop in heavy package situations, and he wouldn’t sacrifice much in coverage with Brooks hovering behind him operating as a deep player.

Avieon Terrell made some nice plays on Wednesday, and he confirmed with us after practice that he has been working mostly on the outside. Like Brooks, he will prove versatile for the Falcons this season. Terrell should start getting more of that work in this summer during training camp.

Other Defensive Notes

Divine Deablo and Christian Harris are the first linebackers out just about every time, but Channing Tindall and rookie Harold Perkins Jr. have been next. Both of those guys, specifically Perkins, have looked good during these media viewing windows.

On the defensive line, Maason Smith, Brandon Dorlus, and Da’Shawn Hand have regularly been the first guys out. Zach Harrison and Cameron Thomas rotated in behind them. Samson Ebukam (who had what would have been a sack) and Jalon Walker are the primary edge guys, with Azeez Ojulari coming in as the third body.

Falcons Make Some Additions, Subtractions

The Falcons signed defensive end Keshawn Banks, defensive tackle Devonnsha Maxwell, and wide receiver Antwane Wells Jr. on Wednesday after practice. They also released defensive lineman Elijah Garcia, defensive end CJ Nunnally IV, and wide receiver Casey Washington in corresponding moves.

These three new players will occupy depth roles and compete for roster spots this summer, and are indicative of the fact that Ian Cunningham will continue to pursue any means to improve this franchise. He found these three players from the UFL ranks.

Of the releases, Washington is the big surprise. The former sixth-round pick from 2024 ended a disappointing two-year run with the Falcons.

James Pearce Practice Activity

As head coach Kevin Stefanski noted on Tuesday, the Falcons’ edge rusher was again not involved in any 7-on-7 or 11-on-11 activities. James Pearce did participate in individual drills, and was seen running the hill on the north side of the facility (where fans sit for training camp) while the rest of the team was involved in the team periods.

Other Nuggets

Matt Ryan was taking some reps as a practice squad quarterback for the wide receivers during individual drills.
Several members of the Spanish media (specifically from Madrid) were at Flowery Branch on Wednesday, asking about the Falcons’ upcoming trip to Madrid.
Nick Folk nailed a field goal to end practice a bit early (was straight down the middle). His teammates celebrated around him after he connected on that attempt.
Kick return units led with Zachariah Branch and Tyler Goodson. That duo was followed by Olamide Zaccheaus and Natrone Brooks, with other players (Brian Robinson Jr., Cash Jones, and Dylan Drummond) mixing in.
Bijan Robinson scored a nasty touchdown during team drills on a cutback route. He remains a nasty option for the Falcons as a pass catcher.

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