Final Atlanta Falcons 53-Man Roster Prediction for 2025

The Atlanta Falcons completed their slate of exhibition games on Friday night with a 31-13 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Now that we have completed both the preseason schedule and training camp, all attention turns to the looming decisions with the initial 53-man roster.

In the second edition of Atlanta Falcons On SI’s final 53-man roster projections, no UDFAs made the final cut, and several risers had been added to the group. In this new edition, several bubble players rose and fell, but injury news has also rocked these projections.

As for the injuries and how they could impact the roster, two players can be put on Injured Reserve (IR) with a designation to return and would not count towards the initial 53-man roster numbers. A player who is on active/PUP (e.g., Troy Andersen) counts toward the current 90-man limit, but could be transitioned to the reserve/PUP list during cuts. In this case, he would not have to go through waivers, but also wouldn't count towards the 53-man roster limit separate from the designated to return players – granted, he would have to miss four games, similar to in-season IR rules.

Final cuts will be made official on Tuesday, August 26th, before the 4:00 p.m. (ET) deadline. Keep an eye on the cut tracker for the latest intel on who could make that group.

After a full summer of watching these players, one would think this would be a simple endeavor. Those people would be sorely mistaken. Anyways, take a look at my best guess for the Falcons’ initial 53-man roster.

Quarterback (3) – Michael Penix Jr., Kirk Cousins, Easton Stick

The quarterback room is one of the only positions here that feels completely settled with Michael Penix Jr. as the starter. Perhaps a move with Kirk Cousins comes, but there has been little reason to expect any trades in the near future. Easton Stick has done more than enough to earn his place on this roster as the emergency third quarterback.

Running Back (3) – Bijan Robinson, Tyler Allgeier, Nathan Carter

Carlos Washington Jr. has been slowed by a hamstring injury for most of camp. The third-year running back was unable to practice for the last several weeks, and it likely cost him the chance to earn his place on the roster. He would be a strong candidate to rejoin the practice squad after spending most of the 2023 and 2024 seasons there.

UDFA Nathan Carter has also flashed some potential in the preseason games and has some undeniable athletic traits that will serve the team well. Ultimately, this position will be locked down by the team’s top two options.

UDFA running back Nathan Carter had a strong preseason with the Falcons. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Wide Receiver (7) – Drake London, Darnell Mooney, Ray-Ray McCloud III, Casey Washington, KhaDarel Hodge, Jamal Agnew (KR/PR), David Sills V

One major update here from any previous iteration is the additional wide receiver. Initially, I had David Sills V not making the roster, but given the fact that he did not play against the Cowboys and there is a lingering concern over the health of Darnell Mooney and Ray-Ray McCloud, he could sneak into the final 53.

The top three players are locked in stone. Further down, Jamal Agnew, who has been dealing with an oblique injury that is unlikely to impact his status, and KhaDarel Hodge will not be frequent contributors on offense, but both will offer elite special teams ability. Casey Washington has been one of the biggest risers this summer, and Tuesday will be the realization of a long-held dream of his. He could be a contributor to the offense even when Darnell Mooney returns.

Chris Blair has also been very good this summer, but he will likely be a roster casualty on Tuesday.

Tight End (3) – Kyle Pitts Sr., Charlie Woerner, Teagan Quitoriano

I have flip-flopped between Feleipe Franks and Teagan Quitoriano here but have settled on Quitoriano. He has been consistently solid from day one of camp and would be a strong third tight end on this team. Franks, though, is a strong practice player and will likely still find a way to stick around on the practice squad.

Falcos — Atlanta Falcons tight end Feleipe Franks has been battling Teagan Quitoriano to be the team's third tight end. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Offensive Line (8) – LT Jake Matthews, LG Matt Bergeron, C Ryan Neuzil, RG Chris Lindstrom, G Kyle Hinton, C Jovaughn Gwyn, T/G Elijah Wilkinson, T Brandon Parker, RT Kaleb McGary, T Storm Norton

Oh boy.

The offensive line has been thrust to the front of the mind after the recent injuries to both Kaleb McGary, who is expected to miss “significant time,” and Storm Norton, who will miss the next six to eight weeks after undergoing ankle surgery). In this prediction, both will be placed on IR with a designation to return, opening two spots on the 53-man roster. Filling those two spots are Elijah Wilkinson and Brandon Parker.

Both Wilkinson and Jovaughn Gwyn offer some positional flexibility that could prove important in a reserve role come the regular season. Parker feels like the better bet compared to the rookie Jack Nelson at this point, who will be added to the practice squad.

Granted, I do not believe this unit will be solidified until after the 4 p.m. ET deadline, and the Falcons will opt to add fresh faces to this group from the waiver. Expect this position to continue to evolve between now and Week 1 of the regular season.

Defensive Line (7) – David Onyemata, Ruke Orhorhoro, Zach Harrison, Brandon Dorlus, Ta’Quon Graham, Morgan Fox, Kentavius Street

Position coach Nate Ollie talked a great deal about how much this unit would be rotating, which would necessitate a deep group to pull from. LaCale London was the tough cut to make here, but it would be difficult to expect the Falcons to carry eight defensive linemen. Simeon Barrow Jr., who will likely also make the practice squad, is another player on the outside looking in.

Edge/Outside Linebacker (5) – Leonard Floyd, Jalon Walker, James Pearce Jr, Arnold Ebiketie, Bralen Trice

After an offseason where the Falcons revamped this position, the edge rush feels like it is in a significantly better place than it has been in several years. The first four players are considered roster locks, but Bralen Trice enters his first healthy season with the team and will offer some run-stuffing ability. If they were to keep an unlikely sixth player here, Khalid Kareem could offer similar run-stopping ability.

Linebacker (4) – Kaden Ellis, Divine Deablo, JD Bertrand, DeAngelo Malone, Troy Andersen

My prediction is that Troy Andersen will transition from the active/PUP list to the reserve/PUP list. He would miss the first four games of the season, but it would open up an extra roster spot at linebacker.

Beyond that, Josh Woods was the eventual difficult cut to make here. He has been a strong contributor throughout camp and will land on the practice squad, but Malone's cross-training at inside/outside linebacker (plus his established special teams acumen) will open up a little more flexibility.

JD Bertrand has spent the majority of the summer working with the second-team defense and does not feel at risk of not making the cut.

Cornerbacks (6) – AJ Terrell Jr., Mike Hughes, Billy Bowman Jr., Dee Alford, Natrone Brooks, Mike Ford

The first four players here are locks to make the roster, with Natrone Brooks feeling like a safe bet after his recent ascent through training camp. The third-year corner has been a standout during preseason action, securing an interception against the Titans and largely playing well enough to look like a solid depth player. Mike Ford is a player who offers enough in special teams and as a combo inside-outside corner to afford a spot.

CJ Henderson was a late addition to the roster. He has enough physical upside for the Falcons to hang on to him, but he is on the outside looking in here after not making much of an impact in his only week with the team. Clark Phillips III, who has been dealing with a rib injury for the last few weeks, is also an unfortunate cut here. The emergence of Brooks makes it difficult to see him making the final roster.

Safety (4) – Jessie Bates III, Jordan Fuller, Xavier Watts, DeMarcco Hellams

Like with the quarterback position, this is one of the pre-ordained positions on the roster. There will be plenty of rotation here, but the only question that looms is who starts alongside Jessie Bates III.

Specialists (3) – Younghoe Koo, Bradley Pinion, Liam McCullough

Younghoe Koo was provided with some camp competition in the form of international signing Lenny Krieg, but the veteran kicker from Georgia Southern proved the spot was still his with a dominant training camp. Krieg will likely still be carried on the practice squad as a 17th member with a special International Players Pathways Program designation.