CBS Sports Names Sleeper UDFA to Watch for Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons made a lot of noise in April's NFL Draft with a pair of first-round edge rushers, but they still only had a total of five picks in the seven-round event.

The lack of draft picks has helped place more attention on what general manager Terry Fontenot has called the "eighth round," the undrafted free agents. While a player going undrafted typically gives them "sleeper" status automatically, the Falcons have several UDFAs who are expected to push for spots on the roster in 2025.

Former Kansas Jayhawks cornerback Cobee Bryant headlined the Falcons' group of undrafted free agents. Head coach Raheem Morris went as far to say "“Cobee is the most famous undrafted player I've ever been around."

Former San Jose Spartan quarterback turned wide receiver Nick Nash led all of FBS with 16 touchdown receptions in 2024. Even former South Carolina tight end Joshua Simon has gotten praise as a player who could make the 53-man roster this fall.

However, speaking to the depth of the UDFA class Fontenot brought in, it wasn't one of those players who CBS Sports spotlighted as a player to watch this summer. That honor belonged to former Miami Hurricanes defensive lineman Simeon Barrow Jr.

"Very quietly, Simeon Barrow Jr. was one of the most disruptive interior rushers in the 2025 class," Chris Trapasso wrote on CBS Sports. "He had a 9.05 Relative Athletic Score (out of 10). So don't ask me how he went undrafted. Makes essentially no sense. And all Barrow did at Miami was collapse pockets. A 9.8% pressure rate across four seasons in the ACC is darn good. And, quick, now that Grady Jarrett is gone -- name a defensive tackle on the Falcons. Barrow has a real shot to establish himself as a useful piece along Atlanta's defensive line."

While Trapasso may be underselling David Onyemata and Ruke Orhorhoro, who the Falcons spent the equivalent of a first-round pick on in 2024, there is definitely an opportunity up front for Barrow.

At 6-foot-1 and 283 pounds, Barrow fits the same mold as several of the Falcons' players, quick, but maybe a shade undersized. The Falcons hope to make up for this with bodies. They can get big across a four or five-man front with depth players such as Zach Harrison, Ta'Quon Graham, Morgan Fox, Brandon Dorlus, and now Simeon Barrow.

Each of those players has inside-out versatility depending on the situation. Barrow can be part of that group. He's not big enough to routinely take on double teams from interior offensive linemen, but he's quick enough to cause them problems by splitting gaps. He's also quick enough to play end against he run.

The Atlanta Falcons invested heavily in their defense over the last two seasons. There will be plenty of new faces on the two-deep. Bryant has a chance to be one of those guys this year, and like Trapasso wrote, so does Barrow.