After spending over $200 million on future contracts at the start of free agency, one would assume the Falcons had addressed most of their roster needs. Thus far, the team has added safety Jessie Bates III, defensive tackle David Onyemata CB Mike Hughes and a handful of other free agents.
Atlanta also brought back a few of its own players in right tackle Kaleb McGary and right guard Chris Lindstrom. However, it’s clear the team isn’t done making moves quite yet. On Tuesday, it was reported that the Falcons are planning to host defensive end Calais Campbell on a free-agent visit.
Edge rusher is one of three areas, along with defensive tackle and wide receiver, highlighted by Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus in a new feature examining each team’s three biggest remaining needs.
How can the Falcons use the rest of the offseason to address these needs? We’ve examined all three positions below.
EDGE
The Falcons could luck up and see Jalen Carter fall to them with the No. 8 pick in next month’s draft,, but the more likely option would be Texas Tech’s Tyree Wilson, Georgia’s Nolan Smith, Iowa’s Luke Van Ness, or Clemson’s Myles Murphy. All options will of course be considered, but is there a viable option in free agency?
Bud Dupree, Leonard Floyd, and Frank Clark headline the current list of free agents available, but the better option would be for the Falcons to not overspend on a player north of 30 years old and try to pursue a Yannick Ngakoue instead. Above all though, depending on how the draft flows, you could likely find better value there than what’s left in free agency.
Interior Defensive Lineman
While PFF lists this as a top need for the Falcons, the reality is, it’s not. Onyemata is good enough to pair with Grady Jarrett, who is indeed a high quality pass rusher down the middle. The issue with the Falcons for so long on their defensive front is that many teams could hyper focus on Jarrett without consequence due to the lack of production alongside him. Plus, defensive tackle Eddie Goldman was reinstated by the Falcons on Tuesday just eight months after retiring.
Wide Receiver
Even with the signing of Mack Hollins, the Falcons have a substantial gap between Drake London and the rest. The team did make moves trading for Jonnu Smith to free up Kyle Pitts’ duties as a flanker as opposed to an inline tight end. However, the teams still lacks a true back threat behind London. Hollins isn’t that guy, but the team could use the draft to fill in the void.
A top rated option that should be there for the team at eight is TCU’s Quentin Johnston or Ohio State’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The team has a history of selecting offensive skill players this early in the draft as they took Kyle Pitts at four and Drake London at eight a season ago, but will they do the same thing a third time, especially if an elite edge rusher is on the board?
Depending on the style of receiver you want, Deandre Hopkins is a name you could trade for, as his situation in Arizona is fairly bleak. Additionally, Mecole Hartman offers a contrasting play style that stretches the field vertically with his speed as opposed to the height of Hopkins. Isaiah Mckenzie offers a similar package to Hardman in terms of being a speed threat. Additionally, Odell Beckham still remains available, but he has yet to be seen after tearing his ACL in the Rams’ Super Bowl win over the Bengals.
Free Agency Tracker
Falcons 2023 NFL free agency tracker https://t.co/efJ9BT51Sh
— The Falcons Wire (@TheFalconsWire) March 21, 2023
Falcons updated salary cap numbers
Looking at the #Falcons updated salary cap numbers after first wave of free-agent signings https://t.co/j2KinUsvPW
— The Falcons Wire (@TheFalconsWire) March 20, 2023
Falcons Wire 7-round mock draft using PFF's simulator
The #Falcons trade back before landing help at wide receiver in our new 7-round mock draft https://t.co/tfYv6k4QoT
— The Falcons Wire (@TheFalconsWire) March 19, 2023
