The Atlanta Falcons are 1-2 but appear to be trending in the right direction after their dominant win over the Green Bay Packers in Week 3. While quarterback talk has rightfully dominated the headlines through the first three weeks of the season, the Falcons defense is no joke.
Aside from one bad game against the Carolina Panthers, Atlanta's defense has been dominant against the run and very good against the pass. The Falcons are allowing an NFL-low 47.7 rushing yards per game this season, and they're relying on several young players to do so.
Rookies Avieon Terrell, Kendall Daniels and Harold Perkins Jr. have played key roles in Jeff Ulbrich's defense. Perkins, a sixth-round pick out of LSU, made SI's list of the 10 biggest rookie steals after
the first three weeks.
"All 32 NFL teams overthought Harold Perkins Jr., who once looked like a future first-round pick at LSU," wrote SI's Justin Melo. "The Atlanta Falcons ended his draft-weekend fall at No. 215 overall and the decision is paying immediate dividends. Perkins has played 93 snaps in Atlanta. Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich is utilizing his athleticism in coverage, where he's allowed just 35 receiving yards and 5.8 yards per catch on 75 coverage snaps."
The biggest rookie steals so far... #NFLDraft
— Justin M (@JustinM_NFL) October 1, 2026
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The emergence of Daniels and Perkins in particular has been huge for Atlanta after losing veteran linebacker Kaden Elliss in free agency. Elliss signed a three-year deal with the New Orleans Saints, leaving a big hole next to Divine Deablo.
Ulbrich said it would take multiple players to replace Elliss, and the team found those players in the draft. We'll see how Perkins and Daniels play against the Saints this week on Monday Night Football.
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Falcons rookie ranked among biggest steals in 2026 NFL Draft
