The Atlanta Falcons were among the most active teams throughout the 2023 NFL offseason. Not only did the team go on a spending spree in free agency, the Falcons came away from the draft with arguably the biggest impact player in the entire class.
First-round pick Bijan Robinson is expected to take Atlanta’s ground game to another level this season. The trio of Robinson, Tyler Allgeier and veteran Cordarrelle Patterson should help open things up for second-year quarterback Desmond Ridder.
While the Falcons are undoubtedly a better team than they were last season, did they do enough to snap their current five-year playoff drought?
Since we still have plenty of time to kill before the 2023 season kicks off, let’s check out what some of the national analysts are saying. Pro Football Focus released their post-draft power rankings and Atlanta remained near the bottom of the league, coming in at No. 27:
The Falcons signed one of the best safeties in the league in Jessie Bates III after their 2022 safeties ranked 26th in defensive grade, so this is a much-needed upgrade. In the front seven, Atlanta went with a platoon approach, adding interior defenders David Onyemata and Calais Campbell, edge rusher Bud Dupree and linebacker Kaden Elliss.
While Robinson will produce right out of the gate, the Falcons still have other positions they need to address with top-end talent, including edge rusher, wide receiver and outside cornerback. — Amelia Probst & Arjun Menon, Pro Football Focus
The Falcons are continuing to apply their platoon approach in the secondary, signing Jessie Bates III’s former teammate, Tre Flowers, to a one-year deal on Monday. Flowers brings some depth and experience to that outside corner spot.
The team traded for Jeff Okudah prior to the draft, but his contract is up after the season since the trade negated his fifth-year option. Atlanta also added Utah defensive back Clark Phillips III in the fourth round of the 2023 draft.
Make sure to check out the team’s complete post-draft roster and our starting lineup projection for next season.
