Pads Come On, Action Heats Up at Falcons Training Camp, Winners and Losers

FLOWERY BRANCH, GA - The Atlanta Falcons took to the field on Monday morning to begin the second session of training camp. After four days of no pads and a day off on Sunday, the pads came on to start day five. As the weather heated up, the action heated up for Falcons fans in attendance.

Let's take a look at some of the key takeaways from Monday's training camp.

Bijan Watch Reaches Day 5

Running back Bijan Robinson missed all of the first session of training camp last week, and his hold in over a new contract continues. Teammate Matthew Bergeron, whom the Falcons took with their pick after Robinson in the 2023 NFL Draft, signed a massive contract extension on Saturday while Robinson waits.

Robinson has been out on the field every day, and he seems to be getting a little bit more antsy as the action heated up. He joined his teammates during drills to watch and give pointers, but he is still in shorts and tennis shoes. In his absence, Brian Robinson Jr. has looked like a solid backup option, catching passes out of the backfield and running up the middle with a punishing style.

Welcome Back Brick

Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich was back on the field on Monday. Ulbrich has taken some time away from the team after his wife passed. His attendance is a boost for the players and likely a boost for Ulbrich as well.

Shuffle at Offensive Tackle

Forget quarterback; the big injury problem on this team looks to be right tackle. Kaleb McGary and Storm Norton were sidelined last year on the same day at training camp. McGary retired this offseason, and Norton was already declared out for the season.

The Falcons signed Jawaan Taylor and Wanya Morris to help backfill the position. Taylor began training camp on the active/PUP list with no known return date, and Morris was not a participant at Monday's practice. He was on the field with a brace on his left knee and was moving gingerly around the field. Jack Nelson is also not participating in practice as he watches from the side in shorts and a jersey.

Michael Jerrell got significant snaps with the first unit at right tackle, and Brandon Walton also worked in next to Chris Lindstrom at times. Jerrell was acquired in a trade last season, and Walton was signed in the offseason after spending two years with the Panthers and two years with the Buccaneers prior to that.

Yes, right tackle is a big concern for this team heading into the season.

Speaking of Quarterbacks

Each of the quarterbacks participated in the early portion of camp, including the warm-up period and 1v1s. Tua Tagovailoa took snaps during 11v11s for the first time. He had just three plays before being replaced by Jack Strand.

Falcons QBs working with tight ends pic.twitter.com/eOmkAEW7Ab
— Scott Kennedy (@ScoutKennedy) August 3, 2026

Penix competed in every aspect of camp except 11v11s and was sharp. He got the practice started with a bang on a long pass to Chris Blair and then backed it on the next play with a go-route touchdown pass to Zachariah Branch that drew some of the loudest cheers of the day.

The pads are on an Zachariah Branch still impressing. #falcons pic.twitter.com/nNbM38rg2i
— Scott Kennedy (@ScoutKennedy) August 3, 2026

About that Rookie...

Third-round pick Zachariah Branch has continued to be one of the best players on the field. The pads came on for Monday's practice, and Branch continued to make big plays. He's quick, he's fast, and he plays bigger than his 5'10 listing.

Obviously, he'll need to prove it once the season starts, but the Zachariah Branch hype train is not slowing down.

The Biggest Battle

Outside of quarterback, the biggest battle continues to be nickel. A.J. Woods was the first player in the spot. He's a player that probably wasn't on a lot of 53-man roster predictions before camp, but he's going to be on a lot of new ones now that we have a week-plus of practices concluded.

Avieon Terrell and Darnay Holmes also worked with players we'd consider to be first-team, like Jessie Bates and Divine Deablo. Terrell had one of his best days working exclusively at nickel. He showed a strong grasp of coverage concepts, picking up players in his zone.

He also takes after his brother A.J. in another way; he's physical. Nickel has a lot of responsibilities of outside linebackers against the run, and Terrell showed he's not afraid to pop pads with blockers and running backs as he seals the edge.

The QB Battle

Penix had his best day of camp so far. He seemed to take a little off his fastball throughout camp and threw a more accurate ball with touch. Whether it was a quick out to the sideline or finishing practice with a long pass to Chris Blair, Penix was sharp all day.

Over the Middle

One of the more obvious changes in this Falcons offense compared to past years is the mandate to use the middle of the field. The shallow drag route to a wide receiver is a popular play, and Drake London had a nice play on a skinny post at the hash marks. The ball was thrown over the middle more in one day of practice than we saw in any five games last season.

Specia Teams Look Special Again

Punter Jake Bailey had an excellent day hitting the coffin corner on Sunday, and new kicker Nick Folk hit from 47 and 50 on back to back kicks into the crowd. Folk has been the most accurate kicker in the league for three straight years, and it doesn't look like the 41-year-old is slowing down yet.

What's Next?

The Falcons will have their first afternoon practice on Tuesday. It's been relatively cool for August in Georgia thus far, with Monday being the hottest day. It's definitely going to heat up on Tuesday.

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