After arguably the most eventful conclusion to a Falcons’ season where they didn’t reach the playoffs, it’s an opportune time to look back on the past season’s high points and take a brief look into the offseason.
The daily conversations about the significant organizational changes and latest updates in the search for a new head coach and general manager will continue over the next few weeks. Let’s switch things up from the recent discussions and focus on the players.
The final roundtable of the season always features the most writers to finish strong. Tre’Shon Diaz, Evan Birchfield, Dave Choate, Cory Woodroof, Adnan Ikic, and Aaron Freeman join me for this edition. If you haven’t read a roundtable before, you can view the last one that took place in November to familiarize yourself with the format.
Who wins the Falcons’ defensive MVP?
Tre’Shon Diaz: My heart wants to say Zach Harrison. He was on quite the trajectory before his injury ended his season and was the best all-around player on the line, but I’ll go with the team sack leader, James Pearce Jr. Much has been said about the “quality” of Pearce’s sacks, but this team’s scheme would not have functioned without him. Pearce’s ability to execute his role in this defense created opportunities not only for himself but also for others. It’s fair to want to see the rookie take a step next season and win more one-on-one matchups, but he did enough in his first year to help this defense reach a place they haven’t been before.
Evan Birchfield: This is a tough one because there are a lot of players on defense who deserve this recognition. Linebacker Divine Deablo deserves to be the most recognized. There’s likely some data, somewhere, that would back this up, but if you watched every Falcons game in 2025, you know that the defense just looked better when Diablo was out there. I’m not sure if he should be the defensive MVP, the popular answer is likely someone else, but to me, Deablo deserves this recognition.
Dave Choate: In my mind, there’s no question it was Pearce Jr. Brandon Dorlus was hugely in the middle of the line, Deablo was legitimately transformational, and Xavier Watts and A.J. Terrell were huge. But Pearce’s endless reserves of hand-fighting and quarterback-harassing made him a terror; he was a legitimately impactful player over the back half of the season, and he led the way to a record-breaking season for Atlanta’s pass rush.
Value in a lost season is maybe a little more subjective than it is in, say, a playoff season for the Rams when Matthew Stafford is lighting up secondaries. In this case, on-field impact and the sheer hope the rookie pass rusher brought for this defense and the future combine to make Pearce my choice.
Cory Woodroof: I’ll give that to Terrell. Sure, he had a rough game or two, but he holds down one of the toughest jobs in the NFL with such command and poise. For so much of the season, he played such a huge role in keeping opposing passing games in check. He doesn’t always receive his league-wide flowers, but he’s my MVP for the defense this season.
Adnan Ikic: Pearce Jr. deserves his flowers for breaking the team’s franchise rookie sack record, but I’m going to pretty easily choose Deablo. Deablo missed four games this season. In those games he missed, the Falcons allowed 29.8 points per game, which, if that extrapolated throughout the season, would have been good for 31st in the NFL, ahead of only the Cowboys. With Deablo in the lineup, the team allowed just 21.7 points per game. The Falcons were also 8-5 in games the former Virginia Tech Hokie played in, while they lost all four games without him. Despite not having gaudy stats, Diablo was a standout at the second level, showcasing all-around talents on the ball from stopping the run to dropping back in coverage. He was the key that made everything work in Jeff Ulbrich’s defense, and we unfortunately saw that firsthand when he was out of the lineup.
Allen Strk: Kaden Elliss gets the slight nod over Deablo for his versatility, dependability, and ferocity. It’s remarkable how he can affect games in a variety of ways. Ulbrich helped unlock a new level in his game as a pass rusher by moving him across the line, either as a blitzer or pure edge rusher. His presence created chaos on twists, while allowing him to demolish running backs when bursting through lanes. Elliss made strides in coverage by looking far more comfortable as a hook defender. There are some jaw-dropping pass breakups from him, displaying his high football intelligence and range. His play against the run was as steady as ever. Regardless of the matchup or circumstances, Elliss made his mark every game. He is the heart and soul of this unit.
Aaron Freeman: Terrell gets my vote, although there are plenty of good options to choose from. There were a couple of rough outings towards the end of the season, but Terrell was the most consistently good player on the defense from start to finish this year. From having one of his best career games against the Buccaneers in the season opener to his lights-out play against Puka Nacua in Week 17 on Monday Night football, Terrell had one of the best seasons of his career.
But it’ll likely fly under the radar once again because he did not notch a single interception for the third season in his career. But his ability to lock down his side of the field was an asset for Ulbrich’s defense. Even if it often exposed the liability at the other cornerback spot because opposing quarterbacks had little desire to test Terrell. But that’s not his fault. Blame Terry Fontenot for ignoring that position for the majority of the last five seasons. At least Terrell did his job extremely well this season.
What aspect of Kyle Pitts’ impressive year stood out the most?
Tre’Shon Diaz: His ability to make contested catches returned. During his rookie season, Pitts consistently made tough catches for the new team President of Football, Matt Ryan. However, after Marcus Mariota put the tight end’s knee in jeopardy on a middle-of-the-field pass, Pitts struggled with contact at the catch point. This season, Pitts got back to making those critical catches in traffic. He trusted that his quarterback(s) would protect him, and he was rewarded with his best statistical season since his rookie year. Pitts was once again the well-rounded receiver we saw in 2021; instead of just the occasional vertical threat, he’s been in between.
Evan Birchfield: I’d say reliability. People easily forget, but Pitts had one of the best seasons by a rookie tight end, ever, in 2021. Then he has a stigma about him from not scoring touchdowns and being unreliable in the passing game. Flash forward to 2025, and Pitts finished with his best catch percentage of his young career at 74.6%. With the eye test, Pitts just looked like what we all hoped he would develop into: a reliable tight end with insane athletic ability. I just hope he didn’t hit this level right as he’s heading out the door.
Dave Choate: The consistency. Criticized for a perceived lack of effort at times during the first four years of his career and maligned for his iffy blocking and come-and-go reliability as a receiving option, Pitts took major steps forward in all those regards in 2025. He caught at least 60% of his targets in 14 of his 17 games–his previous career high there was 11–and posted a career-best 74.6% catch rate on his highest-ever volume of targets. His blocking is never going to be a standout feature of his game, but it’s continually gotten a bit better, too.
When you’re looking at investing in a player like Pitts, you want to know that he’s going to show up every week and give you high-end tight end competence at worst and dazzling games at best. I’d argue the 2025 season was the first time we’ve really seen that all come together for him, but it’s proof that he can make it a habit.
Cory Woodroof: Beyond his explosiveness, looking much more akin to what we saw earlier in his career, there’s an intensity that I feel like wasn’t always present for whatever reason. He looks more bought in than ever before. Maybe part of that was him playing in a contract year, but he really rose to the occasion when the team needed him most.
Adnan Ikic: His work in the short to intermediate game. Due to his physical tools, Pitts has always made fans and analysts’ mouths water at the prospect of his ability to stretch the field, but this season was his lowest in terms of yards per reception despite being the most productive overall of his career. His longest reception was just 36 yards, and he wasn’t the recipient of any bombs downfield, but his catch percentage of 74.6% was by far the highest of his career, as were his overall 88 receptions. This is a testament to the work he’s put in as a route runner, picking his spots in that intermediate area of the field more than anything else, and you could tell how much more trust Kirk Cousins had in him compared to last season, down the stretch, as a result.
Allen Strk: Maximizing opportunites after the catch is vital for tight ends to be consistently productive. Pitts always looked dangerous when he had space to operate. From stiff-arming defenders out of the way to gliding past them, it was invigorating to see him use his explosive traits with the ball in his hands. After being limited for so long, he looked unleashed, taking short to intermediate passes for impressive gains. The second-team All-Pro set a career high with 399 yards after the catch per Pro Football Focus. Being a focal point in the game plan certainly helps, but he deserves enormous credit for his improved awareness and power in his game.
Aaron Freeman: Barring a four-game stretch in the middle of the season where Pitts had a drop every game, it was his overall reliability. That especially became more pronounced after Drake London went down with his knee injury and Pitts became the team’s most reliable third-down option. Pitts also proved to be a more effective checkdown option, generating yards after the catch, as his 2025 totals (399) nearly eclipsed his combined total from the two previous years (404). Overall, it was the most complete season from Pitts.
How does the Falcons’ defensive front build on their success of breaking the single-season franchise sack record?
Tre’Shon Diaz: By not getting complacent, what was good enough for 2025 won’t be good enough for 2026. The Falcons will have to manage the potential losses of Arnold Ebiketie and Leonard Floyd. The team is limited on draft resources, but it wouldn’t hurt to spend another pick on a pass rusher. The teams that get after the quarterback year after year are constantly investing in the position. Sack regression is almost a guarantee for the Falcons, but they can still improve their pressure numbers and other meaningful pass-rushing metrics if they make sound investments this offseason.
Evan Birchfield: Consistency is what we all want to see going forward. 57 sacks in a season is something we all dreamed of seeing. If you combined the Falcons’ sack totals from the 2022 and 2024 seasons (52), it’s five fewer sacks than they had this past season. Now it’s realistic to expect them to be a little less next year, but anyone reasonable would be thrilled if they eclipsed 45-50 sacks in 2026. What they can’t do is go back to having 35 or fewer sacks.
Dave Choate: Realistically, the numbers are probably going to pull back a year from now. The actual effort and effectiveness of the front can still improve, however.
Once healthy, Dorlus should once again be a force. Pearce Jr. and Walker clearly have space to get better, given that Pearce had a ramp-up period and Walker was sporadically impactful as a pass rusher. And Ruke Orhorhoro can hopefully, with time and coaching, go from a useful player to an impactful one. There’s in-house improvement, good coaching, and diligence can bring.
But simply adding help will make a big difference, too. The Falcons need more space-eating, lane-clogging run stoppers to help the effort, need to invest in depth at inside linebacker to ensure they’re not caught flat-footed if injuries pile up there, and need to add to a rotation that is probably set to lose both Floyd and Ebiketie at outside linebacker. When the Falcons fell down last year, it tended to be because their depth was tested; Atlanta needs to take pains to remedy that in 2026.
Cory Woodroof: They’ll need to be less blitz-heavy in the future to avoid letting up too many explosive plays, so rushing with four is going to be important. That’s where growth and development come in, as well as continued investment on the edge. The team can’t rest on its laurels; it needs to keep attacking the defensive front with quality players. Adding a bona fide run stuffer would be smart. The team is a bit light in the pants up front and needs more lane cloggers to avoid getting gashed by opposing running backs. You don’t want to get slower up front, but you do need more size. This unit could be a real strength in 2026 with more focus and investment in the offseason.
Adnan Ikic: It somewhat felt like a sack factory by committee this season for the Falcons, as opposed to some situations where you have one player getting 15-20 sacks and being that star who makes everything go. Pearce Jr. was the only Falcon to hit double-digit sacks, and even then, he was barely above that threshold. 12 Falcons recorded multiple sacks, and the three leaders in the clubhouse were two rookies (Pearce Jr. and Walker) and one sophomore (Dorlus). We can’t expect a repeat of that large number of contributors, so it will be up to these three players to really carry the load and to step up even more next season if the Falcons want to build on the immense success of this season. They can’t get complacent or rest on their laurels; this defense will go as they do as young leaders and contributors.
Allen Strk: Adopting the Eagles model of prioritizing improvement up front every offseason is the best way to build a sustainable force. It can’t solely come down to relying on Pearce Jr. and Walker to improve and carry the unit. Players must be signed or drafted, no matter their free agency spending limitations and lack of draft capital. The likely departures of Floyd and Ebiketie make adding one edge rusher pivotal to keep the unit well-rounded. Possessing quality depth off the edge was integral to their success. Besides that, adding at least one capable interior rusher would do wonders in solidifying this group as formidable. They asked too much of Orhorhoro and David Onyemata last season, which hindered the defensive line when rushing four in high-leverage moments.
Aaron Freeman: Continue to invest in their front, whether that comes through the draft or free agency. This is not the first time the Falcons’ pass rush has made strides toward respectability. Certainly not to the degree of 57 sacks, but we’ve seen seasons when they had a functional-to-good pass rush, such as in 2017 and 2023. However, in both instances, the team let key contributors, including Adrian Clayborn, Dontari Poe, Calais Campbell, and Bud Dupree, walk in free agency and made minimal efforts to replace them. Only to see their pass rush regress in the following years by a significant margin.
The same could occur this spring, with Onyemata, Floyd, Ebiketie, and Elliss all set to hit free agency. Even if their combined sack totals of 10 are just a fraction of the team’s overall total, their combined 112 pressures are a much more significant part of their overall production. Everyone should know that sack production is volatile from year to year, while pressures are much more predictable and stable. Therefore, the Falcons should not take any lost production for granted, as they have in the past.
Who is one wide receiver in free agency that the team should realistically pursue?
Tre’Shon Diaz: This is a pretty weak receiver free agent class. Some of the best options are heading into a void year, which means they might not even touch the market once free agency kicks off. Affordability is also a concern for the team, which will have to make some calculated moves to create space. Romeo Doubs appears to be the odd man out in Green Bay’s wide receiver room, and it’s unlikely that he’ll command WR1 money on the market. Doubs has proven to be a reliable all-around receiver, making him an ideal number two for any team that’s looking. He doesn’t possess freakish athleticism, but the Falcons need a dependable receiver that can do the job consistently, and Doubs fits that requirement. If money weren’t an obstacle, I would lean toward Alec Pearce, but I expect his market to be quite aggressive.
Evan Birchfield: The Falcons currently have one of the worst wide receiver groups in the league. It’s definitely a position that must be upgraded. Looking at who will possibly be available in free agency as of today. A few names I would be happy with them bringing in are Alec Pierce, Wan’dale Robinson, and my personal favorite, Jalen Nailor. I’d be thrilled if they signed any of those three playmakers if their current respective teams decide not to re-sign them.
Dave Choate: I’d take a big swing at Pierce if the dollars allow. Pierce is one of the most effective deep ball threats in the league today, as is evinced by the fact that he led the NFL in yards per reception by nearly four full yards, and he boasts reliable hands, size, and a willingness to block that should endear him to the next offensive coordinator in Atlanta. He’s likely to be expensive so it’s a question of priorities, but Michael Penix Jr. would love to launch ’em downfield to Pierce.
If the money’s too high there, Doubs will be a bit cheaper and has quietly been a pretty terrific option in Green Bay; he’s been a particularly effective option in the short-to-intermediate areas of the field for Jordan Love and could help open things up downfield for the likes of London and (possibly) a returning Pitts.
Cory Woodroof: Outside of watching for guys connected to the new coaching staff, I’d love to see the team bring back Olamide Zaccheaus. I wonder if Ryan will remember how reliable Zaccheaus was in the passing game and see what he’s done as a depth option with the Bears. Save the big splash for the draft unless you’re able to splurge on a playmaker like Doubs or Rashid Shaheed. Having Zaccheaus back would really help solidify the depth at the position, a major sticking point in 2025, with a friendly face.
Adnan Ikic: The team won’t be able to break the bank on George Pickens (if he even hits the market), but a guy who may be affordable and who could be a strong contributor is Jauan Jennings. Jennings and the 49ers couldn’t reach an agreement on a contract extension this past offseason. He’s proven his ability to step in and fill that top wide receiver role in spurts when called upon, and he would benefit plenty from playing opposite of London. If the Falcons want to move off of Darnell Mooney’s deal ($11.92 mil in cap savings if designated post-June 1) and pivot elsewhere, Jennings is a veteran who’s performed in big moments and whose age and lack of massive seasons historically could keep him in an affordable range.
Allen Strk: Robinson is an appealing option after making NFL history as the shortest player to produce 1,000 receiving yards in a season. Given his small frame and physical limitations, teams may shy away from offering a significant deal. In a league where wide receivers like Khalil Shakir have proven to be invaluable as playmakers, Robinson can have a similar role in a functional offense. Between having reliable hands and a knack for gaining yards after contact, his skill set makes him a dangerous weapon. The Falcons desperately need more viable pass-catching options, especially when it comes to running quick game and calling screens. Robinson can be that dynamic, reliable receiver to create more high-percentage looks and convert third downs more consistently.
Aaron Freeman: The Falcons desperately need more vertical speed at wide receiver, given the dramatic decline from Mooney. Not having a reliable field-stretcher is arguably the biggest cause of the team’s offensive decline, more so than inconsistent quarterback play or play-calling. So for me, the best answer is Shaheed. He comes in a similarly sized package as Mooney, with similar game-breaking speed that could be an excellent complement to London’s ability to work underneath and intermediate parts of the field. Not to mention, Shaheed could also add tremendous value to the Falcons in the return game, which also needs help.
