Atlanta Falcons Showing Off Improved Depth as Tennessee Titans Come to Town

After seeing limited action as rookies, Ruke Orhorohoro and Brandon Dorlus are expected to take significant strides in their second seasons. Both played well, with Dorlus finishing with a sack and a fumble recovery, as they figure to be fixtures in the rotation in 2025. 

Nate Ollie stressed just how important that defensive line depth will be for the defense in 2025, with each player attacking with intensity on every snap. 

“We’re just rolling. That’s just how we are, and how we have to play up front,” Ollie said. “We’re asking these guys to get off, get off, get off [and] run in that dark room. It’s hard for guys to do that about 40 plays in a row, so we gotta roll and keep these guys fresh.” 

Orhorohoro and Dorlus will mix in with several veterans in that steady rotation. David Onyemata, Zach Harrison, Morgan Fox, Ta’Quon Graham, and Kentavius Street should all get plenty of run this season. For Ollie, as long as they “rep the style,” they will have a place in that room. 

“We’re talking no weak links,” he said. “Anybody who’s on that field, I don’t care who you are – undrafted, first-round pick, second-round pick – we expect you to go out there and compete. That’s getting off the football, running in the dark room.” 

The team has mixed and matched the pairings throughout camp, and that trend should continue Tuesday against Tennessee. 

Safety/Wide Receiver Rotations

We didn’t see safety Jordan Fuller take part in the 11v11 period. Xavier Watts took the lion’s share of reps in his place alongside Jessie Bates, with DeMarcco Hellams playing with the twos alongside Josh Thompson. 

Casey Washington and David Sills V both made great plays Monday morning. Sills had a nice route, breaking down A.J. Terrell Jr. in coverage and high-pointing a pass from Kirk Cousins for a touchdown. Washington secured a deep ball from Michael Penix that procured several oohs and ahhs from the media. 

Popular UDFA Nick Nash also saw some time with the second team today, and he made a handful of receptions from Cousins. 

Some Inactives to Note

There were a handful of players who did not participate, both expected and unexpected. Wide receiver Darnell Mooney, who has not practiced since the first day of camp, is still not present. Other expected players who were unavailable included cornerback Keith Taylor and inside linebackers Malik Verdon and Troy Andersen. 

Some unknown non-participants included primary return man Jamal Agnew (who was present but dressed in street clothes), running back Carlos Washington, and cornerback Clark Phillips II. Linebacker JD Bertrand was still in the yellow penny. 

Swing tackle Storm Norton was dressed and participated in individual drills, but did not appear in team activities. Kaleb McGary and Jake Matthews were similarly involved in individual drills but stepped away for the team portion of practice. 

Other Notes

• The pass rush looked very strong today. It’s hard to tell if they got “sacks” when they aren’t in pads, or finishing plays for that matter, but they did appear to generate significant pressure on both Penix and Cousins. 

• With Agnew not participating, running back Bijan Robinson was seen taking some reps in punt return today. 

• A misty rain was steady throughout practice, but the energy was still very present on the field today. Players were dancing, and Bijan Robinson and Drake London even had playful fisticuffs after the first team period. 

• Not a large crowd today, but several fans still braved the poor conditions to be in attendance.