Who is the Atlanta Falcons' Biggest Breakout Candidate?

The Atlanta Falcons are entering a new generation in 2026, but who could be leading that charge? There will be several breakout candidates for the franchise this season, and Sports Illustrated highlighted safety Xavier Watts as the top bet, but we have several more who could add their name to that list.

Let’s start with Watts.

Locally, Falcons fans are already well acquainted with the young safety. He was outstanding as a rookie, tallying 96 tackles, breaking up 11 passes, and finishing second in the NFL (leading all rookies) in interceptions with five. Watts is simply outstanding in coverage. He finished 12th among the 224 qualified defensive backs in ball hawk rate (28.2%) according to Next Gen Stats.

Those numbers give them confidence that he can become a “breakout” player.

“He finished fourth in the Defensive Rookie of the Year voting, and is poised to build off that performance in his second year in Jeff Ulbrich’s scheme,” Eva Geitheim wrote.

But could we argue that Watts has already had that breakout? These numbers read as a player who has arrived, and his building on that performance would only solidify him as one of the NFL’s top safeties. He was a finalist for the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, but he was probably the only player who did not garner national respect.

If he matched or surpassed his rookie season, then that would quickly change.

Who else could be a breakout for the Falcons this season? Let’s take a look.

Edge Jalon Walker

Atlanta Falcons linebacker Jalon Walker has been a popular name around Flowery Branch | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Fellow second-year defender Jalon Walker received a lot of praise from coaches and teammates during the offseason programs. After the exodus of defensive talent in free agency, Walker will receive a bigger spotlight.

“We didn’t maybe feature him as well as we could have,” Ulbrich said. “This word gets thrown around way too often – force multiplier – but that’s what he is. He will make us better as he gets better.”

Injuries slowed him down a bit, but he was strong last season, recording 33 tackles, 5.5 sacks (second among rookies), and nine quarterback hurries as a rookie. But his impact on the locker room was especially notable.

“Walk came in as a grown man,” Falcons defensive lineman Zach Harrison said about Walker. “He’s always handled his business, and as a guy who has been around the league a decent amount, I respect that.”

Samson Ebukam smirked when asked about what he’s seen from Walker, going on to highlight an increasing physical prowess that Walker is still growing into and a high football IQ. He was an outstanding run defender, but he could continue to ascend as a second-year player.

“He's hungry for that [growth], you know, but it’s going to be a special year for him,” Ebukam said. “He knows who he is, and he’s just waiting on Sundays to unleash.”

Wide Receiver Jahan Dotson

The Falcons are counting on Jahan Dotson to step into a larger role this season. He flashed some of his potential playing alongside Terry McLaurin as a rookie (35 catches for 523 yards and seven touchdowns) in Washington. He referred to that season as “a little splash,” but mostly because he was buried on depth charts in the years after that.

The receiving totals with the Eagles (478 yards over two seasons) are not necessarily indicative of the type of player the Falcons signed to a two-year, $15 million deal this offseason.

In Atlanta, he will have a clear path to making a larger wake. Dotson is the favorite to be the second wideout behind Drake London, but he will still need to carve out his target share alongside Kyle Pitts, Bijan Robinson, Zachariah Branch, and others. Regardless, he should prove to be the primary downfield threat.

“I see a lot of versatility from Jahan Dotson, he's a fast guy, he plays bigger than maybe the numbers say at times – and that goes back to his college tape,” passing game coordinator Tanner Engstrand said during OTAs. “We're just excited to continue to find out exactly what he really likes to do, what he excels at, and then continue to just put him in those positions as we continue to evolve and get the installation going.”

Dotson’s skill set and paved road to playing time make him a compelling breakout candidate.

Linebacker Divine Deablo

Following the same logic from Sports Illustrated, Divine Deablo could be considered a breakout candidate, too. Locally, Falcons fans are well aware of the inside linebacker, and he was one of the team’s most important defensive players last season. Nationally, he may not be that sort of household name, at least not yet.

If he can stay healthy for the full 17-game season, and the Falcons’ defense can continue to ascend, then he could receive some of that recognition – for reference, the Falcons went 0-5 without Deablo, and 8-4 with him.

He will wear the green dot and take charge as the leader of this defense, but expectations are going to be high for Deablo.

“He is that special,” cornerback Mike Hughes said about Deablo during OTAs. “I think this year, y’all will get more of a glimpse of that. Last year, I think he got his foot in the door a little bit, and you’ll see what kind of impact he can make on that field. This year, coming in healthy, he’s going to take the world by storm. You’ll see.”

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