5 Burning Questions for Atlanta Falcons Ahead of Training Camp

Can Michael Penix improve his touch?

The rookie signal caller flashed tremendous potential after being inserted into the starting lineup for the final three weeks of the season. Penix showed a powerful arm and a veteran moxy uncommon to a player of his age and experience. 

Despite his short sample size, Penix was 4th in the NFL in yards/completion (minimum 100 plays) despite not taking any significant amount of first-team reps until Week 16. His 737 yards passing were eighth among all quarterbacks in those final three weeks. 

"There's a couple things about those three games where it's just his ability to manipulate defenders with his eyes," Falcons QB coach T.J. Yates said during OTAs. "How he saw the entire picture was kind of set in stone for all of us. Like, 'Alright, we got a guy here.'"

While certainly impressive, he did show a need for improvement in his touch and accuracy. 

Penix only completed 58.1% of his passes as a rookie and had several instances where he put too much into a throw. These numbers do come in contrast to a pair of 65% completion seasons with the Washington Huskies, so perhaps those were just some first-year jitters, and unfamiliarity with his receivers. If he does not show improvement in this area, the vast array of skill players will be rendered less meaningful, and the entire offense will suffer. 

Ultimately, the Falcons will be expecting a year two leap starting as soon as Thursday. 

Who steps up on the interior defensive line?

The defensive line will see a changing of the guard for the first time in a decade following the offseason departure of Grady Jarrett. 2025 will certainly be marked as a transition season as the Falcons look to a new generation of players to carry the mantle moving forward.

Atlanta will count on several second-year players who effectively took a redshirt year last season. ESPN named Ruke Orhorhoro as a non-established starter to watch, but fellow day two pick Brandon Dorlus will be expected to take on a similar type of role in year two.

The pair of defenders only appeared in a combined 10 games as rookies, but both are expected to step into much larger roles this season.

“That young plethora of talent being immersed to the D-line is going to look different,” Morris said during OTA’s. “You’ve got to get those guys out there and give them an opportunity to be able to go do it. So now it's going to be up to them. 

“We're kind of working our way up to that point, and then hopefully when we get to training camp, you’ll get a chance to see some of the fruits of that labor.” 

Another interesting piece of this defensive line puzzle is what sort of impact third-year lineman Zach Harrison can have. 2025 will mark his third consecutive season with a new defensive coordinator, and he has naturally struggled to find a consistent role with the team.

As a former 5-star talent out of high school and standout athlete with the Ohio State Buckeyes, the talent is clearly there. The question remains for him – what sort of role could he play? He’s versatile enough to play defensive end in a 3-4 or 4-3 depending on alignment.  

Veteran David Onyemata will be joined by new addition Morgan Fox, who will both work to fill the void left by Jarrett and also departed Eddie Goldman. Both of those guys will come in several pounds lighter than the 332-pound Goldman, but should help provide some scheme versatility in the attack-minded Ulbrich front. 

“I think it's really going to happen in training camp for those guys,” Morris said in June about the development of the defensive line, specifically Dorlus and Orhoroho. “I think they have absolutely attacked this part of it, and that is establishing body armor, establishing that they can run all day, establishing ownership of this part of the defense that we've put in thus far, and really the next part for them is getting to the physicality part of our game, which will happen in about eight weeks from now, somewhere around there.”

Is there a kicker battle?

Atlanta went through a bit of a rocky period at kicker after a right hip injury derailed Younghoe Koo’s season. 

Even before being put on injured reserve in Week 16, the typically dependable Koo struggled with consistency down the stretch. For the season, Koo converted just 73.5% of his kicks, a career low as a Falcon. His issues were then magnified in a Week 11 matchup with the Saints in which he missed three field goals in the 20-17 loss. 

The Falcons proceeded to drop their next five games after that loss. 

Over the offseason, Atlanta moved to acquire rookie kicker Lenny Krieg out of Germany on a 3-year, $3.02 million deal – an atypical decision for a team with an established starter already on the roster and under contract through 2026. Though Krieg’s deal only came with $10,000 guaranteed.

The front office noticed Krieg during the NFL Combine when he connected on 14 consecutive field goal tries. They were aggressive in signing him after other clubs showed interest in the 23-year-old. 

"All across the board, as our team, we're always looking for competition and we're always looking to bring in the best players," special teams coordinator Marquice Williams said back in May. "I mean, that's why we play the game: to be the best. So, we bring in the best players for every position.”

According to Morris, Koo will enter training camp with a clean bill of health. 

“Everything from a health standpoint that I've seen, that I've heard about, anything that's been reported, everything feels like it’s on a natural, moving course for Koo to do what he needs to do to get ready to go play football,” he confirmed during OTAs in May. 

While it is unlikely that the Falcons would opt to keep two kickers on their 53-man roster, there is a special condition that Krieg could satisfy. 

Krieg is a participant in the NFL’s International Player Pathway (IPP) program, which means he could fill the team’s designated IPP slot and would not count towards their roster limit. 

If Krieg wins the job outright, the Falcons would save $2 million total on the salary cap this year, and $3.5 million next season, according to Spotrac. 

Could Bijan Robinson make a run at an Offensive Player of the Year? 

While the overall ceiling of the Falcons’ offense hinges on the immediate progress of its second-year quarterback, the engine still lies in the backfield right behind Penix. 

Running back Bijan Robinson exploded in his second professional season with 1,887 scrimmage yards and 15 total touchdowns on 365 total touches. He was just the fifth Falcons player to gain 1,800 yards in a single campaign, a tremendous season and enough to earn his first Pro Bowl nod, but not enough to garner a single vote for the OPOY. 

That sort of recognition could be in his immediate future, but he would need to take the next step in one key aspect of his game: explosive runs. 

While he ranked fourth in the NFL in carries of 12+ yards (28), his long for the season was a mere 37 yards. For carries of 20+ yards, Robinson’s rank fell to 17th league-wide. 

“Last year, he was comparing himself, not comparing himself, but talking about some of the workload that McCaffrey had. Then, he went out and did it,” Morris said about his running back. “Now this year, he's talking about some of the mimicking of Saquon Barkley. I'm not telling him he can't do it. I know you guys won't, but he's one of those kind of guys. He's not afraid to put his goals out there, put his thoughts out there, put his beliefs out there in the team and himself, and not afraid to go out there and support it. That's what's important to us.”

For someone who compares himself to the league’s best, Robinson’s output has been right in line with the elite running back talent the NFL has to offer. Robinson has the speed, illustrated by his 4.46 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, and his game speed is undeniable. 

Winning would certainly build his recognition, but if he can also unlock that next gear, 2025 could be another season of firsts for the electric Falcons’ running back.