Across the first two weeks of the season, the Atlanta Falcons have rotated players at the second linebacker spot next to Divine Deablo. Rookies Harold Perkins Jr. and Kendal Daniels have both received quality snaps--and impressed this season--but it's hard to make out what the pattern is here when Jeff Ulbrich's usage of both of them keeps teeter-tottering.
In Weeks 1 and 2 against the Steelers and Panthers, Daniels out-snapped Perkins 86-50 (63 to 37%) on defense, but afterward, the pendulum swung in the other direction. In the wins over the Packers and Saints in Weeks 3 and 4, Perkins out-snapped him 95-54 on defense (64 to 36%). It feels like eventually this will even out, but what it is is the Falcons choosing to play the matchup game.
Against the Steelers and Panthers, Atlanta trailed early and had to focus more on stopping the run--an area where Daniels excels--so he played more. But Perkins has excelled in coverage, so when it came down to the two games where the Falcons went up early against the Saints and Packers and spent more time defending the pass, they turned to the sixth-round rookie instead.
But in Week 5 against the Baltimore Ravens, game script may not matter as much since the Falcons are going to face a run-heavier offense. Even with Lamar Jackson unlikely to play, they'll have a mobile quarterback starting in Tyler Huntley, and Daniels needs to be on the field more to stop that.
So not only do I expect the 23-year-old to see his old snap share on Sunday Night Football, I think he'll be the X-Factor in this game.
The Falcons need Kendal Daniels to step up against the run on Sunday
The Dirty Birds are one of just three teams to have more rushing yards this season than the Ravens, who even without Jackson still have a scary run game. Derrick Henry leads all running backs in both carries and rushing touchdowns in 2026, as even in his age-32 season he's as monstrous as ever.
And while Atlanta's run defense is the best in football through four weeks, they haven't faced a running back nearly as good as King Henry. Jaylen Warren, Chuba Hubbard, MarShawn Lloyd, and Alvin Kamara aren't exactly a murderer's row of RBs--so containing him will be a legit challenge.
And that's where Daniels comes in. He had some really nice early TFLs against the Packers, and his two tackles for loss leads all Falcons linebackers. That's more than Perkins and Deablo have combined (1.5), so if the goal is to make plays in the backfield and disrupt their run game, he gives them the best shot.
The interesting part of this is that while Ulbrich was addressing the media on Thursday, he was asked about the fourth-round pick, and he mentioned that he's learning how to play multiple spots for this defense--and is even getting looks on the defensive line--where he'd be more crucial as a run stuffer.
The young defender played all over the defense while he was at Oklahoma, because he played a role that Brent Venables referred to as "the "Cheetah". And considering the guy is 6-foot-5, 242 pounds, a converted safety like Deablo, and athletic freak, it's safe to say he can handle a role that asks for a lot of versatility.
Slowing down one of the best running backs in the NFL is imperative for the Falcons' success against the Ravens, and to do that they need people they can trust to make plays against the run. And if they want to slow down Derrick Henry, it comes down to getting Kendal Daniels on the field.
Add us as a preferred source on Google