Biggest improvement the Falcons made this offseason

The Atlanta Falcons are a couple of days away from kicking off the preseason with a Week 1 matchup against the Lions. Raheem Morris has already said Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix Jr. will not play, but fans should get a good look at some new faces on the defense that are slated to be major contributors this season.

The Falcons’ focus in free agency was almost exclusively on defenders, headlined by the signings of Leonard Floyd, Divine Deablo, Mike Hughes, and Morgan Fox — all of whom are expected to start when Week 1 arrives against the Bucs.

Atlanta followed the same path in the draft. The Falcons only had five picks, but the first four of them they spent exclusively on defensive players. Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. join the team as first round picks. Xavier Watts was selected in round three and Billy Bowman in the fourth. All are currently competing for starting reps as rookies.

But beyond the new faces, the Falcons also have a bevy of second and third year guys that they hope can take the next step and start making a bigger impact. 2024 second-round pick Ruke Orhorhoro is slated to get a lot more reps this season with Grady Jarrett now in Chicago. Brandon Dorlus will also be competing for those same opportunities, and the Falcons are really hopeful they can get something out of Bralen Trice as well, who suffered a torn ACL in Week 1 of the preseason last year.

DeMarcco Hellams, who made some outstanding plays as a rookie, returns after missing all of last season, and Zach Harrison could be a player to watch. He had a really promising rookie campaign, but former defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake couldn’t find a role for him last season. A more experienced defensive coordinator in Jeff Ulbrich shouldn’t have that problem, who might actually be Atlanta’s biggest offseason addition.

When the Falcons hired Jimmy Lake, it was met with some criticism. He didn’t exactly have a track record of roaring success and had no experience as a defensive coordinator in the NFL. There’s always a grace period with new hires, but it only took a couple of months to realize Lake was in way over his head. So much so, that Raheem Morris reportedly took over the defense following the team’s bye week, and the unit finally experienced some level of success.

With Jeff Ulbrich at the helm, the Falcons finally have a legitimate defensive coordinator — and the players aren’t shy about showing their excitement for the energy and edge he’s bringing to the building.