Falcons’ Defense Set to Get Major Boost with Ta'Quon Graham’s Return

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga – The Atlanta Falcons’ defense has shown flashes of dominance this season, particularly up front, where the defensive line has anchored much of the unit’s success. But one key piece is about to rejoin the mix.

That’s Ta’Quon Graham. 

The defensive tackle, who has been sidelined since training camp, embodies everything the Falcons want in an interior lineman. His 21-day window to return was opened earlier this week as the team readies for their showdown with the Buffalo Bills on Monday, but he was a full participant in practice on Thursday. This could signal a return sooner rather than later. 

His pending return, whenever it comes, isn’t just about depth. It’s about energy, identity, and the kind of contagious effort this coaching staff has built its defensive philosophy around. 

Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich lit up when asked about Graham’s potential impact.

“He is the profile for our insiders [on the defensive line],” Ulbrich said. “We look for explosion. We look for speed. We look for a guy that's got amazing instinct and toughness. He's going to rep our style at the highest level, so I'm just very excited to get him back. And he's got a really cool way about himself. He has an infectious energy that he walks around with. He's quiet, but he says a lot without saying much, just in the way that he plays and carries himself. He has an element of elevating those around him, too. There's tremendous value in TQ.”

Graham, a former fifth-round pick from Texas, would give the Falcons more flexibility and size along their front. His return could give the Falcons another interior disruptor next to Ruke Orhororo and Brandon Dorlus, two players who have set the tone for Ulbrich’s fast, aggressive scheme.

But what makes Graham’s presence even more significant is how closely he fits the mold of what Ulbrich and defensive line coach Nate Ollie want across the room. It’s not just about length or burst, it’s about mindset.

“The profile: arm length, speed, height, weight – we all get that,” Ulbrich said. “But there's also an approach and an energy and a makeup that's very important to me and very important to this building. It's very important to ‘Rah’ [Raheem Morris] that we bring guys in that love this game, and they demonstrate that love in the way they approach the game every day.”

For Ulbrich, that love for football has become a defining trait in the type of player he wants to coach. It’s a shift, he said came with experience, to valuing character and commitment as much as physical traits.

“As a younger coach, I'd be so enamored by measurables,” he continued. “And I’d think, ‘Oh, I can make him love the game.’ I've learned that you can increase someone's like for the game, but you're never going to make a guy that just doesn’t love it suddenly love it. The more I’ve gotten committed to that, I’ve seen guys become more than I thought they could become.”

That philosophy has shaped much of what Atlanta’s defense has become this season. The group plays with a visible chemistry. Players who rally around each other, communicating and celebrating defensive stands. It’s the kind of energy Ulbrich describes when he talks about collecting players who “just love this game.”

And when Graham steps back onto the field, he’s expected to amplify that even more. His blend of power, speed, and technique gives the Falcons another interior option capable of collapsing pockets and clogging lanes, which is something that could prove crucial as the season grinds into its middle stretch.

It’s also a testament to the team’s emphasis on depth. Ollie expressed his desire to be constantly rotating his defensive front, and adding a player like Graham back into that mix gives them even more flexibility to rotate fresh legs and maintain pressure.

The Falcons are looking to get pressure on opposing quarterbacks after watching their numbers falter a bit in recent weeks. Pressure, says Ulbrich, which comes from his front four, rather than added blitzers.

Atlanta is currently sending more blitzers than any other team in the NFL (47%), a number that could start coming down with the addition of Graham to this front. 

Beyond the stats and rotations, though, it’s clear Graham’s presence carries an intangible weight. Ulbrich’s words reflect more than excitement about a player returning from injury. They speak to the kind of locker room culture Atlanta’s coaching staff is building under Morris.

A culture where toughness meets joy, and effort isn’t optional.