How will the Falcons improve the defense?

The team can’t stand pat after a resurgent 2023, so what’s next?

The Atlanta Falcons have their special teams group pretty well locked in, at least as far as specialists go, and probably have their offense 85-90% locked in. For a team with a new coaching staff and plenty of question marks this offseason, getting all of that sewn up in the first week of free agency is pretty impressive, and it puts the Falcons in a good position for the season ahead.

But because the work is not totally done on offense—they could use improved depth, at the very least—and the defense has remained untouched, it’s clear the team still has work to do. I promised we’d talk about the defense after diving in to the state of the offense last week, and now seems like a fine time to look at what the Falcons

An EDGE rusher with a track record, upside, or both

The Falcons are heading into the season with, essentially, Arnold Ebiketie, DeAngelo Malone, and Lorenzo Carter as their EDGE rusher group, with Zach Harrison potentially mixing in. Ebiketie seems like he’ll be a consistent 6-8 sack guy in the NFL, Harrison has truly intriguing upside but may move around the line a bit, Carter is a useful player and inconsistent pass rusher, and Malone was essentially mothballed the entire 2023 season. Barring major leaps from Ebiketie and Harrison, this group needs help, even if Malone can be a contributor with the coaching staff change as I hope he can be.

The Falcons have clearly been trying, as they were strongly linked to Montez Sweat but were outbid and tried for Danielle Hunter but were outbid again. The market for EDGE rushers worth a damn has already thinned out, as it always does, and that leaves the Falcons scrounging for mid-to-upper tiers players who may be expensive, turning to the draft, or both. Simply rolling with the group they have is not an option.

The Falcons could try to pry away Michael Hoecht from the Rams, who put a right-of-first-refusal tender on him, and nab a player who has been good for 4-6 sacks, pairing that group with first rounder pass rusher Dallas Turner. It’s worth noting that the team is already being strongly linked to Turner and that he has the upside to be a top option, so adding a useful veteran to the group and swinging for the fences with Turner may well get this group to where it needs to be. Right now, with the team’s limited cap space and limited options in the market, it’s fair to be nervous about a position group the Falcons never seem to fully fix.

A starting safety…maybe

At the very least, the Falcons need to add a useful player to this group. Richie Grant shouldn’t be an unquestioned starter, no matter how good this coaching staff feels about their ability to work through some of his coverage flaws and lapses in tackling, and DeMarcco Hellams isn’t a slam dunk starter either. The Falcons may very well love one or both of these guys and think they can maximize what they bring to the table, and if so, I look forward to seeing it happen. In that scenario, perhaps all you need is a veteran with special teams upside, like former Bills defensive back Siran Neal. The Falcons did try to get a visit with him before he signed with the Dolphins, it’s worth mentioning.

But given the ifs, ands, and buts above, it’s fair to wonder if a new coaching staff will want to just get their own guy and carry a really strong reserve duo in Grant and Hellams. This is an absolutely flooded free agent safety market, with a ton of proven starters readily available to teams with the cash. The Falcons may be waiting to see someone set that market by inking one of the top safeties, but if they have the money and the desire, they shouldn’t wait around long to get their guy. Pairing Bates with another strong starter and letting Hellams, Grant, or both work as the third safety depending on the day would give Atlanta one of the better groups in the league; that’s worth salivating over.

Cornerback help

I really like Clark Phillips, and I really like Dee Alford. I would be comfortable having both serve as starters with A.J. Terrell, with the addition of some veteran depth to help the Falcons out. I don’t think that’s going to be the team’s stance, however.

Getting someone in to at least compete with Phillips for a starting job feels like it will be important for the Falcons, who count former defensive backs coaches among their head coach, defensive coordinator, and assistant head coach. There’s a significant group of 30-plus former starters out there, including Xavien Howard and Stephon Gilmore, so the Falcons certainly will have options if they’re willing to pay up. With free agent money looking a bit tight in the immediate future and with a quality group of corners in this draft class, however, I would not be shocked at all to see the Falcons invest in one on the draft’s second day.

That might leave Phillips and Alford duking it out for nickel cornerback duty; if nothing else, Atlanta will have terrific depth.

Re-stocking the cupboard at defensive tackle

The Falcons have starters in Grady Jarrett and David Onyemata, and Ta’Quon Graham and LaCale London are solid depth. Where the team will likely play a lot of 3-4 fronts, though, they could use more help and another player who adds something to the pass rush, if not a true nose tackle option. Teair Tart could be an interesting free agent addition, and while you’re going to laugh at me for this one, perhaps Raheem Morris would like another crack at Marlon Davison, who he coached during Davidson’s rookie season back in 2020. There aren’t a ton of options out there that really move the needle, though, so expect the Falcons to be reliant on their pair of aging but effective starters.

Beyond that, the Falcons still need to stock depth across the board, something they’ll likely hope to do with affordable free agents down the line and late draft picks. Landing a compelling starter up front and addressing safety, cornerback, or both with a high-end option would leave the Falcons in pretty good shape on that side of the ball, setting them up for an improved season in 2024.

Now it’s just a matter of seeing how the Falcons plan to tackle these needs.