Top Falcons players Buccaneers must watch in Week 1

Opening the season against a divisional foe always brings a little extra juice, and the Buccaneers are ready to exact some revenge on the Atlanta Falcons.

It won't be as easy as just showing up, even if the Bucs have the more talented team. The Falcons have plenty of playmakers on both sides of the ball, including a pair of All-Pros. It all starts in the run game, and Bijan Robinson is one of the most dangerous running backs in the league. Opening holes for him is All-Pro left guard Chris Lindstrom, and wide receiver Drake London keeps everyone honest with his ability to stretch the field.

Atlanta's defense is still a work in progress, especially the front, but they have several playmakers on that side of the ball. All-Pro Jessie Bates is the most talented player on the defense and is a threat to create a turnover on any play. The Bucs know this firsthand. A.J. Terrell is one of the league's better cornerbacks, and inside linebacker Kaden Ellis is underrated at the position.

The Falcons will have several rookies starting on Sunday, including first-round edge rushers Jalon Walker and James Pearce and defensive backs Xavier Watts and Billy Bowman. The Bucs should win this game, but they'll need to neutralize some of Atlanta's best playmakers.

Top Players On Offense

RB Bijan Robinson

Robinson is the Falcons' best weapon on offense. The versatile back can line up anywhere in the alignment from the backfield to out wide and is a player that must be accounted for on every snap. His rushing ability is highlighted by his excellent field vision and agility, hitting gaps before they open and making defenders miss in tight spaces. A true homerun threat, he gets to top speed quickly, and his size and sturdy frame make it difficult to bring him down. As a pass catcher, Robinson can run routes like a receiver, creating mismatches for linebackers and safeties tasked with covering him. 

WR Drake London

London can go off on any given Sunday. At 6'4", 210, his size and speed combination make him a tough cover, creating mismatches against smaller corners. A 77-inch wingspan gives him an impressive catch radius, and he uses his frame to box out defenders when targeted. While not a polished route runner, London has improved and can run the full tree, able to work anything from short to deep routes, giving him added versatility. He has strong hands and has shown the ability to make difficult catches through traffic and the body control to adjust to balls and high-point catches.

RG Chris Lindstrom

The Falcons' lone offensive All-Pro has become one of the best left guards in football over the years. Lindstrom is a dominant run blocker using his strength and power to move defenders at the point of attack. Lindstrom wins with refined technique and hand placement, allowing him to maintain leverage and control. As a pass blocker, he uses quick feet and proper angles to mirror rushers to negate defenders before they can disrupt plays. He is very agile for his size, displaying the ability to get out in front as a puller and efficiently climb to the second level to take on backers and safeties. 

Top Players On Defense

S Jessie Bates

An All-Pro, Bates is one of the best safeties in football. A true center fielder, he can completely take away parts of the field. He shows tremendous ability to read the quarterback's eyes and know where the ball is going, allowing him to break on the ball to disrupt plays with pass deflections, quick tackles and interceptions. Bates is renowned for his ability to quickly diagnose plays and concepts and put himself in positions to make plays on the ball. Not only does he excel in covering the deep half of the field, but he can also be effective playing close to the line of scrimmage and in run support. 

CB A.J. Terrell

Terrell is one of the league's better man-coverage cornerbacks and has shown the ability to lock down some of the NFL's premier wide receivers. He possesses good size for the position and has elite speed, able to keep up with the speedier receivers, recover from mistakes, and chase down receivers and ball carriers. He uses effective hand technique when jamming receivers at the line to disrupt their routes and excellent footwork to stay with receivers in phase.

LB Kaden Elliss

Elliss is a versatile playmaker at linebacker for the Atlanta. A tackling machine, he racked up 151 tackles on the team last year and has 273 over the past two seasons. A stout run defender, he has 19 tackles for loss since 2023 and hasn't missed a game since joining the Falcons. A leader on the defense, he is a terrific pass rusher and led all inside linebackers with 43 pressures and had a 20.4% pass-rush win rate which ranked fourth among qualifying linebackers last year. His five sacks in 2024 brought his career total to 17.