Falcons Position Battles to Watch in Preseason Clash with Broncos

With the first preseason game taking place on Friday night at Mercedes-Benz Stadium against the Denver Broncos, Atlanta Falcons fans will get the first chance to see the team on the field playing a real game. With that, fans will get a first look at what the starting lineup might look like come Week 1.

Preseason is one of the best chances for players to prove themselves in front of the fans and, most importantly, their coaches. With that said, there are still some positions on the Falcons' roster without a clear starter. So, which position battles should fans be on the lookout for during the preseason?

Quarterback:

Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. have both looked sharp during Atlanta Falcons training camp. | Scott Kennedy

The most obvious answer to the question is the quarterback spot. The Falcons are one of two teams that have not selected their starter for the most important position in the sport. Ironically, Kirk Cousins is involved with the other team that hasn’t named a starter as he tries to hold off No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza

Most know the battle is between Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa. The full evaluation of both quarterbacks will continue to be put on hold for the time being. Penix is not yet cleared for 11v11 work in practice.

Tagovailoa will have the immediate head start as the team named him the starter for Friday’s game against the Broncos with Penix still not cleared for game action. However, if Penix does get cleared before the season starts, the pair's performance in the preseason games could have a major impact on who wins the job.

Cooper Rush and Jack Strand are also in contention for the third quarterback spot. The Falcons only kept two quarterbacks on their initial 53-man roster last year, but they may opt to keep three this season. Rush will be the No. 2 quarterback against the Broncos, with the undrafted rookie coming in to finish the game.

Slot Receiver:

Atlanta Falcons rookie wide receiver Zachariah Branch has been one of the best players at training camp, despite his youth. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It appears that Drake London and Jahan Dotson will play the X and Z receiver roles, respectively, for the Falcons this season, but it remains unclear who will be the main starter at the slot position.

The battle for the spot is between veteran Olamide Zaccheaus and rookie Zachariah Branch. Zaccheaus is listed as the starter for the first preseason game against the Broncos this Friday, but the battle remains tight between the two.

Zaccheus’s consistent skill set and veteran presence have likely earned him the slight edge over Branch to this point, but once the pair are on the field, it will be interesting to see if Branch can take over his spot due to his explosiveness and big-play ability.

Both are likely to get some early looks in the preseason games, and if either can stand out, they might take that starting job. Branch will also be heavily involved in the return game. If Zaccheaus is the starter, that won’t keep the Falcons from using a heavy dose of Branch.

Inside Linebacker:

Sixth-round pick Harold Perkins Jr. will see a lot of action against the Broncos. | Scott Kennedy, Atlanta Falcons On SI

The Falcons have one clear starter at the inside linebacker position in Divine Deablo, but the other spot is still up for grabs.

Former Houston Texan Christian Harris grabbed the spot early in training camp thanks to his experience and balanced skill set. However, there are two rookies right behind him who are vying for the spot.

Kendal Daniels has been making up ground in the position battle thanks to some good performances in training camp recently. He even got to call the defensive plays the other day with Deablo out with an injury.

Harold Perkins Jr. has also been impressing in training camp and has earned some reps with the first-team defense. Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich likes athletic linebackers who can also rush the passer, which is something Perkins showed he could do while at LSU.

This is one of the closer battles entering the preseason and will be interesting to keep an eye on the trio's performance in the games as well as how they are used. With Deablo nursing an ankle injury, all three players should see extensive action on Friday.

Nickel Corner:

Avieon Terrell, the Falcons' second-round pick and brother of standout corner A.J. Terrell, still needs to earn his starting spot on the team. Avieon is currently battling with Darnay Holmes, A.J. Woods, and Sydney Brown for the team's starting nickel spot.

Holmes, a six-year veteran, has played for both the Giants and Raiders mainly as a backup. He has now taken advantage of the chance the Falcons have given him and is listed as the starter for the first preseason game against the Broncos.

Terrell is on the smaller side for a corner, so most people thought he might make the transition to nickel. The Falcons tried him out at both nickel and outside during training camp, but seem to like him better at the nickel spot.

As he gains comfort and experience in the role, I would not be surprised to see him starting here by the end of the year, but it could happen as early as Week One of the regular season depending on how he plays in the preseason. Unfortunately, he has missed the week of practice and will likely be scratched from Friday night’s action.

Brown has safety/nickel versatility and will see more snaps at safety with the Falcons holding Jessie Bates III out of action this week. That leaves the main nickel contenders as Holmes and Woods on Friday.

Another thing to keep an eye on for this position later down the road is where Billy Bowman Jr. ends up playing after he returns from an Achilles injury. Bowman was the team's nickel last year, where he showed some good flashes before his rookie season got cut short. Once he returns, this could be a three-way battle for the starting job.

Falcons-Broncos will kick off on Friday at 7 p.m. at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. It will be televised locally on Fox 5 Atlanta, the ESPN app with an unlimited plan, or NFL+.

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