Falcons roster needs heading into the 2024 NFL Draft

Atlanta has some major problem spots to address,

The Atlanta Falcons won’t be a finished product when the draft is over, but they’ll be a hell of a lot closer than they are this morning. That’s something to get excited about, but at the moment, we also have some apprehension over their plans to attack their biggest remaining needs.

We could just say “well, Terry Fontenot said best player available so our top need is talent” and stride briskly away from the computer, but that’s not our style. Here are the top roster holes the Falcons need to fill, both in the draft and likely immediately following the draft.

EDGE

Not to beat a horse so dead it’s basically just a memory of a horse, but the Falcons need pass rushing help. That need is less acute on the interior at the moment, where Grady Jarrett and David Onyemata offer some real punch, and much more acute at EDGE.

Right now, the Falcons have a group that compiled a combined 10 2023 sacks between Arnold Ebiketie (6), Lorenzo Carter (3), James Smith-Williams (1), DeAngelo Malone (0), Ade Ogundeji (0), and Demone Harris (0). That’s not enough, even if you think the Falcons can get something out of Malone and that Ebiketie can probably be a consistent 6-8 sack player going forward, as I do.

There’s a reason the Falcons have been so heavily linked to Dallas Turner, Laiatu Latu, and to a lesser extent Jared Verse, and it has everything to do with that outsized need. Perhaps the Falcons won’t get an EDGE with their first round pick, but leaving the draft without a high-upside one would be malpractice, and would likely lead to the team dipping back into the Bud Dupree well.

Safety

If Richie Grant rebounds under a new coaching staff and DeMarcco Hellams builds on a solid rookie campaign, this group might just have something. The Falcons have also intimated that they might see other defensive backs on this roster getting some safety run.

If, if, if. Right now, there is no certain, capable starter next to Jessie Bates, and a little stagnation for Grant and Hellams would put the Falcons in a very bad spot. They need at least really compelling depth here and I’d argue they should shoot for a high-end starter between the draft and a free agent class with plenty of starting-caliber options. If they don’t, I guess that speaks volumes about their faith in Grant, Hellams, or both.

Cornerback

A very similar situation to the above. The Falcons have options and I’m a huge Clark Phillips fan, but they have no proven high-end starter to put across from A.J. Terrell, and we don’t know how they feel about Phillips or Dee Alford in the nickel. Given that, landing that kind of player early on in the draft would give them a higher ceiling at cornerback and set them up to have really terrific depth heading into the 2024 season. I’d be surprised if they don’t add someone.

Interior defensive line

If everything breaks just right, the Falcons are fine here for 2024 between David Onyemata, Grady Jarrett, and Eddie Goldman, with Zach Harrison set to potentially make a leap and LaCale London and Ta’Quon Graham providing rock solid depth. It only takes one injury or a sudden decline from, say, Onyemata to throw everything into chaos.

Perhaps Calais Campbell returns after the draft to help shore this group up, but the need for a young, long-term starting option who can contribute this year is still pretty acute. I wouldn’t count on everything coming up Falcons here.

Offensive line

Storm Norton seems like a fine option at swing tackle and Ryan Neuzil is young and versatile, but the depth here is not fantastic. With the starting five locked in, the Falcons just need insurance, but preferably it would be in the form of players who could develop into something more than an emergency option. That’s especially true at tackle, where Jake Matthews and Kaleb McGary are not locks to be here in the coming years.

Wide receiver

You could add tight end to the list, but in practice the team is going to lean heavily on Kyle Pitts and Charlie Woerner and John FitzPatrick and Tucker Fisk are fine, blocking-first options for the third tight end job. Receiver looms a little larger not because the team lacks options in the here and now—that’s what signing multiple guys will do—but because their depth remains a little thin and Rondale Moore, Ray-Ray McCloud, and KhaDarel Hodge are all on one-year deals. For the sake of the team’s long-term fortunes and to give them another compelling option in the here and now, receiver does feel like a need.

Quarterback

Kirk Cousins will be 36 years old when the season begins and Taylor Heinicke is a one year option. The Falcons keep talking about adding a third quarterback because they need more insurance at the most important position on the roster, and because they’d like to have someone young to develop to at least be able to serve as a multi-year backup. That makes it a genuine need, albeit a small one for 2024.

What needs am I missing?