It's been a pretty wild offseason for the Atlanta Falcons. As they entered a new era of Falcons football, the roster and front office both underwent sweeping changes. And as weird as it sounds, they came out the other side much better than anyone could've imagined all things considered.
Atlanta finally fired Raheem Morris and Terry Fontenot in favor of Kevin Stefanski and Ian Cunningham, and Arthur Blank even added a new front office position: the president of football, for which he brought back Matt Ryan to serve as the buffer between the new regime and ownership.
Bringing back a franchise legend in an oversight capacity been an awesome trip down memory lane, but he's also been a major help. His football experience has helped the Falcons land on both Stefanski and Cunningham, and the early returns of this new front office have been pretty positive.
They made a bunch of moves to raise the floor of this roster, but also took some major upside swings. Atlanta has competition all over the roster now, and amid their many offseason changes and moves, here's who stands the most to benefit. And no QBs are included, because that's a cop-out.
Who are the biggest winners and losers from the Falcons' offseason?
Winner: Kyle Pitts
First the Dirty Birds placed the $15.045 franchise tag on him. Then came the trade speculation before the 2026 NFL Draft. Every sign of the offseason looked like it meant Kyle Pitts could finally switch teams this offseason, but they remained undeterred and signed Pitts to a three-year, $54 million deal.
For years, it seemed like he was a major dissapointment and wouldn't be in the long-term plans of a new regime. Instead, the 25-year-old was extended three weeks before the deadline and is making $18 million a year as the third-highest paid TE in the NFL after taking a step in the right direction.
Winner: Jalon Walker
Given all of the James Pearce Jr. turmoil, I think people have forgotten just how dominant Jalon Walker can be. 2025 was his first season as a full-time edge rusher after playing off the ball at Georgia, and he ranked inside the top 10 in the NFL in run defense grade per Pro Football Focus.
Part of why the Falcons were so enamored with Walker as a prospect was because of his versatility, and they're finally leaning into that. Now that resident swiss army knife Kaden Elliss left Atlanta this offseason, he'll be one of the players tasked with helping make a similar impact all over the field.
Winner: Dylan Drummond
The Falcons brought in a lot of wide receiver help this offseason, but there's a lot of unknowns at the bottom of the depth chart. The Falcons are set to hold a major training camp battle for the final two spots in the WR room during training camp, and Dylan Drummond has a good chance of winning out.
Drummond was one of the players who ate into Casey Washington's snap share down the stretch last season, and he's now one of the biggest benefactors of his release. He's one of the only depth wideouts who have stuck around for a while in Atlanta, and had a good showing during minicamp.
Winner: James Brockermeyer
Once again, the Atlanta Falcons may have found their long-term answer at the center position in a UDFA. James Brockermeyer was a First-Team All American for Miami in 2025, and only went undrafted because he's a bit undersized to play the center position, but the talent is undeniable.
With Ryan Neuzil sidelined during a practice session during OTAs, Brockermeyer, not Corey Levin, took the first-team reps. Of all the 2026 UDFAs the team signed, Brockermeyer has got the most hype, and he has a real shot to make the roster and eventually take Neuzil's job.
Winner: Da'Shawn Hand
The defensive line in A-Town is still very much a work in progress, but Da'Shawn Hand was one of their most impactful additions after losing David Onyemata and Ruke Orhorhoro. They brought him in for $3 million in free agency, and has already provided a serious return on investment to the DL room.
He's already been nicknamed "the Kingpin" and Nate Ollie has referred to him as the "final boss" of Atlanta's defensive line, so as a rotational option behind Brandon Dorlus and Zach Harrison, Hand is going to make an instant impact as the veteran of the group.
Loser: JD Bertrand
For all of the moves the Atlanta Falcons made at the linebacker position this offseason, it just put the nail in the coffin for JD Bertrand. The 2024 fifth-round pick was a liability when taking over for the injured Divine Deablo in 2025, so Jeff Ulbrich made sure to add an army of more athletic linebackers.
Kendal Daniels. Christian Harris. Channing Tindall. Harold Perkins Jr. Like Deablo, four of these guys fit the mold of what Ulbrich wants at linebacker more than Bertrand, and they aren't just going to keep him around to play special teams. His time in Atlanta is all but over, and it's about time.
Loser: Nathan Carter
Nathan Carter has a great story. He was an undrafted free agent out of Michigan State in the 2025 NFL Draft, and impressed enough last summer to claw his way onto the final roster. He was the RB3 behind Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier and mainly played special teams, but he carved out a role.
Unforunately, Carter's grip on the RB3 job is slipping. Free-agent acquisition Tyler Goodson has more experience than Nate the Great, and stood out during offseason workouts. He also has just as much special teams experience, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see Goodson make the roster instead.
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