The major intrigue on the defensive side of the ball concerns starters, not reserves, but the depth battles ahead are well worth watching at three positions in particular.
While we were able to figure out five battles for depth roles on offense and probably could’ve ginned up more, things are not quite as unsettled on defense, where the Falcons have a pretty clear pecking order along their defensive front and at safety. The remaining intrigue for those deep reserve roles comes at linebacker and cornerback,
where there are several quality candidates fighting for only a spot or two on the final 53 man roster.
We’ll get into the battles for starting jobs in more detail later this week and into training camp. Let’s dive into the reserves for now.
ILB4/5
Divine Deablo is starting, while Christian Harris and Kendal Daniels will be duking it out for a starting job Harris seems likely to win, given that Daniels has not been healthy to this point. The intrigue starts after that.
Rookie Harold Perkins Jr. is a versatile, intriguing talent drafted by this regime, so he’s an early favorite for a spot. JD Bertrand was valued by the last regime for his occasionally useful flashes of run defense and special teams experience. Troy Andersen looked like a potential star in the making very briefly but essentially has not played for two seasons now. Channing Tindall has shown special teams value in his own right, Malik Verdon was an intriguing conversion project moving over from safety, and Daveren Rayner fits the mold of the tall, rangy converted safety that Jeff Ulbrich seems to love.
Not all of these guys will be truly competitive for a fourth or fifth role, if the Falcons even keep that many players. But there’s a mix of roles to be filled and talent on hand here that could make this one of the more interesting camp battles for final roster spots, especially if Andersen is actually healthy enough to get on the field.
OLB5/6
Jalon Walker is starting, James Pearce Jr. is here but might be suspended, and new additions Azeez Ojulari and Samson Ebukam are easy picks for roster spots. Beyond that there’s only a handful of EDGE players vying for a spot or two, but they’re all worthy contenders.
Cameron Thomas, who overlapped with Kevin Stefanski in Cleveland and offers quality run defense, is one of them. Bralen Trice, who was an extremely productive college pass rusher and stout run defender who missed each of the last two seasons but appears healthy now, is another. DeAngelo Malone is hoping his occasional flashes as a pass rusher and special teams value can keep him around, and Keshawn Banks excelled in the UFL enough for the Falcons to sign him.
Multiple players in this group are going to have to go—at least to the practice squad—and all of them profile as solid reserves in 2026. The summer will do the separating for Atlanta.
CB5/6
You have the Terrell brothers locked in, and barring a trade, Mike Hughes is here. Billy Bowman Jr. is very obviously not going anywhere and should be in line for a starting role at the nickel if he’s healthy and the Falcons don’t put Avieon Terrell there.
The collection of options for one or two roles is actually kind of fascinating. You have young, promising players with upside who have to prove they belong, like 2025 undrafted free agent Malcolm Dewalt IV, 2025 UDFA Cobee Bryant, 2024 UDFA A.J. Woods, and 2023 UDFA Natrone Brooks. You have veterans looking to stick and prove they can play at a high level if called upon, like C.J. Henderson, Darren Hall, and Darnay Holmes. And finally, you have Mike Ford Jr., who is hoping to stick on the strength of his special teams contributions alone.
Complicating matters, the Falcons traded for Sydney Brown, who has some experience playing the nickel from his time in Philadelphia. The Falcons could choose to keep Brown as a hybrid depth safety and insurance at corner, which would cut this competition down to a single spot that eight players would be fighting for.
The number of players competing, the limited 53 man spots available, and the players here should make this one of the more intriguing down-roster battles going this August.
