Calling the first day of Atlanta Falcons training camp chaotic would be the understatement. We got several tidbits of bad news on the injury front, which flipped a relatively easy Falcons' quarterback battle right on it's head--and we hope the trend of bad news will not continue throughout the summer.
Between the several key players Atlanta placed on the active/PUP list, the release of Trevor Siemian and subsequent signing of Cooper Rush, and the chaos in the running back room, it's been a long day. And Bijan Robinson holding in for a new contract and Brian Robinson Jr. getting hurt don't help.
With that many major storylines, especially ones that tend not to be positive, it will overshadow some of the more important storylines from the opening day of training camp. After all, this was our first real look at this new coaching staff, so here's what you may have missed from Wednesday's session:
What are the biggest storylines from Day 1 of Falcons training camp?
A frontrunner is emerging in the right tackle competition
With Jawaan Taylor placed on the active/PUP list, the Falcons are missing their starting right tackle for the foreseeable future. And while a right tackle battle was expected to take place in his absence, we're starting to get an idea of who the leader in the clubhouse might be as the spot starter at RT.
Seventh-round rookie Ethan Onianwa, Jack Nelson, and Michael Jerrell were vying for first-team reps at right tackle with Taylor sidelined, but just like during OTAs, it was Jerrell who lined up with the first-team offensive line--and it sounds like he has an early bid to pull away in his quest for a roster spot.
Christian Harris continues his stranglehold on the LB2 job
All offseason long, the question has been who will start next to Divine Deablo as Atlanta's second starting inside linebacker, and all offseason long, it has been the same answer: Christian Harris. Harris took first-team reps during OTAs and mandatory minicamp, and that trend continued on Wednesday.
The 25-year-old is coming off some injury-riddled seasons in Houston, but when he started he was productive. He has the same athleticism Jeff Ulbrich covets in his linebackers, and he also had a nice pass breakup against Kyle Pitts near the end of practice. It again sounds like this is his job to lose.
The Sydney Brown trade is already paying dividends
One of the more important moves the Dirty Birds made this offseason was acquiring Sydney Brown away from the Philadelphia Eagles for some pick swaps. And even though Xavier Watts and Jessie Bates are firmly entrenched as Atlanta's starting safety tandem, they still have big plans for Brown.
With Billy Bowman Jr. sidelined as he's also on the active/PUP list, the fourth-year safety lined up with the usual starters--but not at safety. He lined up at nickel cornerback during the 11-on-11 period, although he was not the only person to rotate in at the position during yesterday's practice session.
A big day for some not-so-big names in the secondary
Like I said, the Falcons rotated several different players in with the first-team defense at cornerback. Clark Phillips and CJ Henderson saw some work on the outside with Darnay Holmes in the slot, which gives Atlanta some options behind the expected starters of A.J. Terrell, Mike Hughes, and Avieon Terrell, whom Stefanski said will get looks both inside and out.
Henderson had a nice pass-breakup against Chris Blair in 7-on-7s and he also nearly picked off Jack Strand in the team period. He apparently high-pointed the ball well and got his hands on it, but could not control it on the way to the ground--which capped off a strong day for the former first-round pick.
Could more 13-personnel be in the cards for the Falcons?
If there's one thing we know about this Falcons' new regime, it's that they love the tight end position. Stefanski's Browns ran 12-personnel more than any other team in the NFL last season, while Mercedes-Benz Stadium was home to the league's most effective 12 personnel offense in 2025.
Kyle Pitts was on the field a lot as expected, but then you have two backups in Charlie Woerner and Austin Hooper who will also play a key role. The first three plays Atlanta ran came out of 13-personnel, and Woerner was especially effective as a check-down option during the first practice--so expect a lot of looks with multiple TEs on the field.
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