The Atlanta Falcons are a little over 24 hours away from taking the field in their preseason finale against the Miami Dolphins on Friday night. It will be the last time the players on the roster bubble get to prove themselves to the coaching staff prior to the roster release deadline on Sunday evening.
Since the Falcons' third and final preseason matchup is right on the horizon, the team released its final unofficial depth chart earlier this week. And like the previous two instances, there weren't many changes, but there were enough to make you intrigued about how things will shake out come Week 1.
Starters are going to play in Miami, so let's dive into the biggest takeaways about the unofficial depth chart entering Friday night...
What stood out from the Atlanta Falcons' final unofficial depth chart?
The elephant in the room
I bet you didn't see this one coming. The most noteworthy change from this unofficial depth chart came at the quarterback position. Now that Michael Penix Jr. has been cleared for full contact, he no longer has that asterisk next to his name, which means that he's no longer buried on the depth chart.
Penix's return has opened the quarterback battle right up. He was listed as a co-starter alongside Tua Tagovailoa, as the QB1 job as labeled as Michael Penix Jr. "OR" Tua Tagovailoa. It's hardly surprising, but it's telling of how things stand even though the former top-10 pick isn't ready to play on Friday.
Za'Darius Smith is still not being listed as a starter
The Falcons made waves when they brought Za'Darius Smith out of retirement in the wake of the Jalon Walker injury and the James Pearce Jr. suspension, but the three-time Pro Bowler is still in his adjustment period, as he has yet to take part in team periods in his short time with the Dirty Birds.
After being listed as a reserve on last week's unofficial depth chart, the veteran didn't move up the depth chart very much. Smith was listed as a third-string edge rusher behind Brandon Dorlus and Samson Ebukam, but this could be that he won't be listed any earlier until he gets more practice reps.
Zachariah Branch is rising up the depth chart
Third-round rookie Zachariah Branch has been listed as the backup to Olamide Zaccheus in the wide receiver pecking order all offseason for the Falcons, but he's finally starting to crack the infrastructure. But I'm not referring to the WR pecking order, it's on special teams where he's rising.
Branch was listed as the primary punt returner for the third consecutive week, confirming that he has all but locked down that starting role. And while he was always expected to take this starting spot, we have only seen him field two punts during the preseason--and neither of them were very promising.
Strand season still isn't as close as we think
The Jack Strand coming out party was in full effect in the 34-6 win over the Indianapolis Colts, as he threw for 215 yards and totaled two scores in a little more than a half. The undrafted rookie showed poise well beyond his years, but unfortunately, his spot on the depth chart remains unchanged.
For the third straight weekend, Strand was listed behind Cooper Rush on Atlanta's depth chart, but that's not all... Since Penix catapulted his way into the starting lineup, the 22-year-old was technically listed as the Falcons' fourth-stringer. I guess this coaching staff wants to see lightning strike twice.
Christian Harris is a starter.... for now
For all of the buzz that has followed Falcons rookies Kendal Daniels and Harold Perkins Jr., Christian Harris is still a key part of the LB2 competition. Although he hardly played in Saturday's victory as a disciplinary measure after throwing a punch in joint practice, he shined in his limited snaps out there.
Daniels had been taking more and more first-team reps in recent days, but Harris is still a name to watch. He was once again listed as the second first-team linebacker opposite Divine Deablo, but it remains to be seen how long this will last before the rookie revolution takes effect for this defense.
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