The Atlanta Falcons have a lot of young talent primed for a breakout pending health and new roles in 2026. Three of those stood out in linebacker Divine Deablo, defensive lineman Zach Harrison and edge defender Jalon Walker.
3 breakout candidates to keep an eye on for the Falcons in 2026
LB Divine Deablo
Divine Deablo already had a bit of a mini-breakout in the 2025 season showing out as a top-level linebacker early on before breaking his arm and missing four games in a five-week span. The Falcons went 0-4 in that span while they were 8-5 with the middle linebacker healthy. Deablo proved to be such a lynchpin for the defense, the Falcons needed to draft a guy who profiles similarly to him in Kendal Daniels just to make sure they had somewhat competent depth if he got hurt.
Deablo has the kind of frame that allows him to cut into passing lanes while also being a strong run defender as well. With his abilities as a coverage linebacker and occasional blitzer, he fits in well as the true leader of the defense. The Falcons will be giving him the green dot this year, designating him as the defensive play relay when he's on the field. Due to that, this new leadership role should help Deablo get even better in 2026 and allow the Falcons to have a potential breakout from him.
DL Zach Harrison
The Falcons got 4.5 sacks out of Zach Harrison in just seven games in 2025, but he was injured for most of the year after that early success. Atlanta already had a solid role carved out for Harrison in 2025 and should keep him in the same role for 2026. Harrison's biggest caveat is that he has to stay healthy the entire season and maintain his nearly 60% snap count rate to have the kind of success that he is capable of.
Harrison's 6-foot-6", 270 pound frame is ideal for the role where he played a 3-4 style defensive end, strong-side end and even 3-technique defensive tackle for defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich. He's a formidable run defender who has shown that he can set the edge effectively while also penetrating the offensive line for tackles in the backfield. The Falcons getting a breakout from an interior pass rusher would only help the likes of James Pearce, Jalon Walker and the linebacking crew at getting after the quarterback as well.
EDGE Jalon Walker
After posting up 5.5 sacks as a rookie and a couple of forced fumbles, Jalon Walker showed he has the potential for even more in 2026 and beyond. He missed a couple of games due to injury and should be suited for a big jump from his rookie to his sophomore season now that he can spend the entire offseason healthy instead of rehabbing like he did before his rookie season. The Falcons could use someone to step up should James Pearce miss a few games due to his legal situation.
Walker's role in 2025 was that of a pure edge defender where he was primarily just setting the edge and attacking the quarterback. With Kaden Elliss leaving in the offseason, it wouldn't be surprising to see Walker getting a few snaps in Elliss' old role in 2026. The athleticism that Walker has would upgrade that role while also allowing additional pass rushers onto the field in the edge role in those nickel sets since he can get after the quarterback from multiple more angles. Walker has the athletic potential to be as good of a pass rusher as a Von Miller or even a Micah Parsons.
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