The Atlanta Falcons' defense looks more promising than it has in years, and Jeff Ulbrich has this unit on the right trajectory for the first time in what feels like forever. The defense is full of young, athletic talents that fit the mold of what a modern NFL defense needs to thrive, which fans aren't very used to.
The Falcons' new regime made several marquee moves to improve upon Ulbrich's unit from last season, such as trading Ruke Orhorhoro for Maason Smith, drafting Avieon Terrell in the second round of the draft, and signing players such as Christian Harris, Azeez Ojulari, and Samson Ebukam to their established core.
However, none of those players are the guys who made the biggest impact during OTAs. Ian Cunningham's first trade as the Falcons' general manager was acquiring Sydney Brown from the Philadelphia Eagles, and his versatility has instantly made for one of the best moves of the offseason, as noted by a practice report Falcons.com's Tori McElhaney.
"Mike Hughes lined up opposite CB A.J. Terrell at outside corner, while DB A.J. Woods and DB Sydney Brown handled nickel reps with the veteran groupings," McElhaney wrote. "Brown later dropped back to work with Bates at deep safety towards the practice's end."
The Falcons are using Sydney Brown like a true defensive chess piece
The 26-year-old has already sent the Dirty Birds' defensive depth chart into chaos. He was brought in as a safety but is expected to wear multiple hats for Ulbrich's defense. Like McElhaney noted, the fourth-year defensive back lined up at nickel cornerback during Atlanta's Tuesday's practice session.
With Xavier Watts sidelined and Billy Bowman Jr. still in the process of recovering from his Achilles tear, it's not super surprising to see Brown getting some shine in the nickel since he lined up there in Philadelphia, and he has the athleticism to thrive at slot corner, though he struggles as a tackler.
However, he did transition back to deep safety later in practice, but the more likely scenario is he'll take snaps at both positions on a relatively consistent basis. He would be the third safety on the depth chart, and he can also push Bowman, Terrell, and Mike Hughes for snaps in the nickel too.
All the Falcons really had to do to land the 2023 third-round pick out of Illinois was move back a couple of spots in the 2026 NFL Draft, and they're betting that their defensive coordinator who thrives at developing high-upside athletes can turn his career around entering a contract year.
He's far from a finished product, but with the way Ulbrich plans to utilize Brown's skillset for this Atlanta defense, it wouldn't be surprising to see him carve out a meaningful role--or possibly even start-- in 2026.
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