The third and final preseason game is over, and it’s time for our final roster predictions. Cutdowns are a lot earlier this year—Sunday instead of Tuesday—which means there’s little time for consideration. Accordingly, I’ll be trying to get this to you all as early as possible on Saturday. The Dolphins game didn’t provide many new insights, but how the snaps were divvied out might provide some clues as to where certain players stand.
Let’s dive right in to my final thoughts on Atlanta’s 2026 53-man
roster. The roster projection is also available in both video and audio format, which you can find embedded below. If you enjoyed the written version, consider giving us a click on these platforms as well.
Listen to the audio version of this article using the player below, or find it on your favorite podcast platforms.
Italics denote a change from the previous roster projection.
OFFENSE – 25
Quarterback – 4
Michael Penix Jr.
Tua Tagovailoa
Cooper Rush
Jack Strand
The Tua vs Penix camp battle has been anticlimactic, to say the least. Tua started out camp fine, but has struggled since the start of the preseason. The fact that he hasn’t taken control of the starting job at this point is fairly telling. Meanwhile, Penix just returned to full 11-on-11 work on Monday, and is having a bit of an adjustment period. There’s just enough time for Penix to win the starting job before Week 1, and I think he will ultimately do so. Put simply, the Falcons have a lot more incentive to put Penix on the field, assuming he’s healthy and ready to go.
The most interesting battle of the offseason might actually be at the bottom of the depth chart at quarterback. UDFA Jack Strand has consistently impressed through training camp and the preseason, and I simply can’t imagine risking him on the practice squad. Cooper Rush remains a steady veteran option and is not subject to waivers, but at least initially, I think both begin on the roster. Shuffling will be likely in the coming days.
Running Back – 3
Bijan Robinson
Brian Robinson
Tyler Goodson
I’m really excited to see what Bijan Robinson can do in this offense. The Falcons offensive line is still working on incorporating more power concepts into the rushing attack, but once they’ve got it down, I think Robinson might be in line for his best season yet. He’ll also be heavily involved as a pass catching option, and I expect to see a lot of stuff schemed up for Robinson.
Brian Robinson is a steady veteran who more or less replicates Tyler Allgeier’s role, just at a fraction of the price. I wouldn’t expect Robinson to match Allgeier’s play, but he’ll be fine. The pleasant surprise of the offseason has been the emergence of Tyler Goodson, who looks like a legitimate threat as a runner, pass catcher, and returner. Impressive UDFA Cash Jones could also be in consideration here if Atlanta opts for more RBs.
Tight End – 4
Kyle Pitts
Charlie Woerner
Austin Hooper
Nick Muse
The Falcons are going to run their fair share of 12 personnel packages this season, which is why I favor the team keeping 4 TEs over 4 RBs or 6 WRs. Kyle Pitts looks to be in line for a featured role, and I expect his target share to be a lot more consistent in Tommy Rees’ offense. Charlie Woerner will be the primary blocking tight end, and he offers a unique skillset there. Austin Hooper will be the secondary receiving tight end, and may end up playing a similar number of snaps to Woerner.
A big surprise has been the play of recently-signed Nick Muse and UDFA Jack Velling. Both were excellent as blockers and receivers against the Colts, and are making a serious push for the roster over Joshua Simon. At this point, I give the slight lead to Muse, but it’s close.
Wide Receiver – 5
Drake London
Jahan Dotson
Zachariah Branch
Olamide Zaccheaus
Chris Blair
One of the biggest developments of the summer is Atlanta’s high usage of 11 personnel (3 WR sets), and the quality of their receiving corps in general. 2025’s unit was among the NFL’s worst due to injury, mismanagement, and a lack of coaching. Things turned around quickly thanks to two veteran additions and the addition of electric rookie Zachariah Branch, and as a result, we could see a lot more receivers on the field than originally anticipated.
Drake London will continue to dominate targets and remains the top pass catcher on the roster. His size and physicality stand out in a room filled with smaller, speedier options. Jahan Dotson acquitted himself well in training camp and seems to have the WR2 job locked up thanks to his experience, route running prowess, and versatility to play outside or in the slot. The biggest riser is Branch, who dominated throughout training camp and preseason and is likely to take over the WR3 role. Veteran Olamide Zaccheaus is a quality rotational option who provides depth in the slot and at returner. Chris Blair finally seems to have a staff who actually recognizes his talent, and is likely to be a fixture on special teams and as Drake London’s primary backup.
Offensive Line – 9
LT Jake Matthews
LG Matthew Bergeron
C Ryan Neuzil
RG Chris Lindstrom
RT Jawaan Taylor
T Michael Jerrell
T/G Ethan Onianwa
C/G Corey Levin
T Wanya Morris
IR: Kyle Hinton
The Falcons have four solid starters on the offensive line all returning from 2025, and one big question mark in right tackle Jawaan Taylor. We’ve hardly seen Taylor this summer, but he appears fully healthy now and should be a meaningful upgrade over the depth tackles and 2025 starter Elijah Wilkinson. Taylor’s play will determine both the ceiling and floor of this line, and it’ll be up to Bill Callahan to see if he can squeeze more run blocking prowess out of the veteran.
Most of the intrigue in this group is with the depth players, as there’s been a pretty fierce battle for swing tackle. Michael Jerrell has more or less manned the swing tackle spot since the start of training camp, and rebounded with a strong performance against the Colts after a rough outing against the Broncos. He’s not an overly inspiring option, but at least he’s shown some improvement. The shocker might by trade acquisition Wanya Morris falling behind rookie Ethan Onianwa. Onianwa got the bulk of the right tackle reps in both preseason games, with Morris being relegated to the depth unit. The rookie was legitimately impressive against the Colts and is learning quickly—I think he gets the roster nod, in part due to his draft status.
There’s a bit of intrigue with the depth guards, as both Kyle Hinton and UDFA Kam Dewberry played pretty well thus far. Hinton is apparently in a large knee brace and didn’t participate in the third preseason game: he might be headed to IR, short-term or otherwise. Dewberry is someone to watch as a developmental practice squad player. Veteran Corey Levin looks like the far superior center option (who also offers guard flexibility), with UDFA James Brockermeyer struggling through the preseason.
DEFENSE – 25
Edge Defender – 5
Za’Darius Smith
Samson Ebukam
Cameron Thomas
Azeez Ojulari
Bralen Trice
SUSPENDED: James Pearce Jr.
We officially got word on an eight-game suspension for James Pearce Jr., and the Falcons will struggle to generate pressure off the edge in his absence. As a result of the suspension and Jalon Walker’s season-ending injury, Atlanta brought in veteran Za’Darius Smith to bolster the room. I’m not sure what to expect from Smith entering his age 34 season, but by all accounts he’s impressed the coaching staff early and has brought a lot of veteran swagger to the room. At worst, he’s a good run defender who can also bring some juice on passing downs.
I still like Atlanta’s rotational rushers, though they’re going to be relied upon a lot more than expected with the team’s top two edge players out. Samson Ebukam and Cameron Thomas had a nice training camp, and both seem to be working primarily with the starters. Ebukam offers a bit more as a pass rusher, Thomas a bit more as a run defender. Azeez Ojulari was mostly quiet in camp, but has been a solid pass rusher during the preseason. We’ll see if Bralen Trice can hold onto the lead he established early in camp, but his lack of preseason snaps may see the team pivot to intriguing UFL signing Keshawn Banks.
Interior Defensive Line – 5
Brandon Dorlus
Zach Harrison
LaCale London
Da’Shawn Hand
Maason Smith
The Falcons interior defensive line continues to be one of the most underrated units in football. Brandon Dorlus was one of the NFL’s best interior pass rushers before injury in 2025, and has continued to impress this summer. Zach Harrison finally returned to the field at the start of the preseason, and has been getting a lot of reps to help him get back up to speed. He’s split time on the interior and on the edge, and has been looking great against opposing 2s. Hopefully he’s 100% by the time Week 1 arrives. LaCale London missed the first two preseason games but is coming off a very effective season as a rotational player and figures to continue in that role.
Da’Shawn Hand suffered an injury early in training camp, but was drawing rave reviews from the coaching staff before then. I expect he’ll be a key player for Atlanta on early downs, and should return in time for Week 1. The biggest disappointment is probably trade acquisition Maason Smith, who has looked disruptive as a pass rusher but hasn’t made his mark as a run defender. The upside is obvious and there’s still plenty of room for development.
Linebacker – 5
Divine Deablo
Kendal Daniels
Christian Harris
Harold Perkins Jr.
Josh Woods
Divine Deablo returned from a minor injury sustained in the second week of training camp and should continue to be one of the best and most important players on defense. Rookie Kendal Daniels shot up the depth chart over the course of camp and the preseason, and now looks to be in line to start next to Deablo in Week 1. Veteran Christian Harris is a terrific third linebacker with a lot of coverage talent—it’s more of a testament to Daniels’ play than Harris faltering this summer. Harold Perkins Jr., the other rookie linebacker, also figures to have a rotational role as a pass rush specialist while he continues to find his footing as a off-ball player. Veteran Josh Woods is a special teams standout and passable depth player on defense, and I think he’s outplayed JD Bertrand and Channing Tindall for this final spot.
Cornerback – 6
A.J. Terrell
Mike Hughes
Avieon Terrell
C.J. Henderson
Darnay Holmes
Mike Ford Jr.
PUP: Billy Bowman Jr.
A.J. Terrell gives the Falcons a legitimate lockdown corner to play against the top receiving talent in the league, while Mike Hughes seems to have taken a step forward as a CB2 based on a very strong training camp performance. Avieon Terrell steadily rose up the depth chart in camp, splitting time between outside and slot duties, but missed the first two preseason games with a minor injury. It seems like Avieon is being prepared to play the slot, and if he’s not starting there in Week 1, he will be within a few weeks.
Atlanta seems to have some quality depth behind the starting trio. C.J. Henderson, the former first-rounder, has impressed through camp and preseason on the outside. Veteran Darnay Holmes took over the slot starter job at the start of the preseason, in part due to Terrell’s absence, and hasn’t looked back. He’s been pretty solid and gives the team a bit of insurance in case Avieon isn’t quite up to speed due to injury recovery. The sixth cornerback job is wide open, and that makes me lean towards special teams ace Mike Ford Jr. He’s a terrific special teamer, although you don’t want to see him on defense. This could also be Clark Phillips III (if the team doesn’t mind paying him the salary) or intriguing UDFA Malcolm DeWalt IV (if the team is looking for developmental upside). Unfortunately, Cobee Bryant seems to have played himself out of roster contention. He remains too grabby, and that’s just something you can’t get away with in the NFL.
Safety – 4
Jessie Bates III
Xavier Watts
Sydney Brown
DeMarcco Hellams
While we haven’t seen much of Jessie Bates III in training camp or the preseason, I’d expect him to be full go for Week 1. Alongside second-year dynamo Xavier Watts, the Falcons should once again have one of the best safety duos in the league. That gives Atlanta a lot of flexibility to play more aggressively up front, which is welcome given the injuries/suspensions in the edge room.
Trade acquisition Sydney Brown has established himself as the third safety, and seems to have a role carved out as a “big nickel” in certain packages. While I thought he might lose his grip on the roster this summer, DeMarcco Hellams instead turned in a great camp and even better preseason. He looks more disciplined in coverage and is playing smarter while retaining his physical brand of play.
SPECIAL TEAMS – 3
K Nick Folk
P Jake Bailey
LS Liam McCullough
RETURNERS
KR Zachariah Branch/Tyler Goodson
PR Zachariah Branch
Nick Folk has been tremendous as both a field goal kicker and a kickoff specialist through the preseason. Hopefully he can continue at this level for the next few years. New punter Jake Bailey also delivered some fantastic plays and looks like an upgrade over the (still) perennially underrated Bradley Pinion. I still expect Zachariah Branch to be Atlanta’s top return specialist on punts and kickoffs thanks to his dynamic ability, but the most pleasant surprise in that competition has been Tyler Goodson. Goodson’s talents seem to translate well to returns, and I think he might end up the secondary kickoff returner for the Falcons to start the season.
PRACTICE SQUAD – 16
RB Cash Jones
WR Vinny Anthony II
WR Dylan Drummond
TE Jack Velling
TE Josh Simon
T Brandon Walton
G Kam Dewberry
C James Brockermeyer
EDGE Keshawn Banks
DT Chris Williams
DT Carlos Allen Jr.
LB JD Bertrand
CB Clark Phillips III
CB A.J. Woods
CB Malcolm DeWalt IV
S Jammie Robinson
What are your thoughts on this potential roster for the Falcons? Any changes you’d make?
