Atlanta’s already diving headfirst into signing depth pieces. Earlier they grabbed special teamer and linebacker Channing Tindall, and now they’re scooping up ex-Bears defensive lineman Chris Williams.
This is another rotational member of the defensive front, joining ex-Brown Cameron Thomas. Where Thomas is likely to primarily play end and come off the edge, Williams will help replace some of the beef the Falcons lost with the departures of Kentavius Street and David Onyemata. The former undrafted
free agent has not been a plus run defender in his career to this point, but he has been able to generate pressure, with PFF crediting him with 25 pressures and four sacks as a part-time player with the Bears in 2024 and 2025.
For an attacking front that likes to rotate and aggressively attack opposing quarterbacks, Williams should be a good fit on passing downs, and he’s had at least limited playing time lining up on both the interior and at end. Early downs and clear run situations are where he’ll need to improve, as he’s had a high missed tackle rate in his career and has graded out poorly against the run in every year except 2025. The Falcons, who had a shaky run defense last year, have to keep adding plus early down defenders to this group, but they may have viewed some improvement from Williams as a good sign for his ability to be well-rounded in Atlanta. Certainly Ian Cunningham would be familiar enough with Williams to endorse him.
We’ll see what his role looks like, but give him a warm welcome to Atlanta!
