Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons made a home run hire with Kevin Stefanski, and it won't take long to see why. The roster is instantly built to compete, but there are a few key areas where he and Matt Ryan are going to have to do some serious work, especially on the defensive side of the football.
The Falcons hired Stefanski to get the most out of their talented offense, but the defense also needs to take another step forward in 2026. The 43-year-old is expected to retain DC Jeff Ulbrich on the new coaching staff, so while there won't be a scheme change, but the personnel could be better.
The Dirty Birds' defense has an influx of talent, especially in the pass rush, but the secondary wasn't overly productive. A.J. Terrell had a big down year because of the lack of talent at cornerback, but Stefanski has a golden opportunity to bolster the cornerback room by bringing a former Brown in Denzel Ward.
Denzel Ward would be the perfect A.J. Terrell running mate in the Falcons' secondary
Mike Hughes isn't much more than a rotational corner, Dee Alford is expected to cash in this free agency, and nickel Billy Bowman Jr. is rehabbing a torn Achilles. On paper, the CB room is decent, but they're lacking a true shutdown corner to be the running mate opposite Terrell, which Ward would be.
The five-time Pro Bowler is heralded as one of the best corners in football, and the 28-year-old has been consistently been as reliable as they come. He even signed a five-year $100.5 million extension in 2022 that will extend through the 2027 season, but that contract comes with an out this offseason.
He will receive a $16.9 million base salary and a $33 million cap hit in 2026, which is pretty hefty for a guy who struggled a bit last year. That's seen the former top-five pick emerge as a potential cap casualty this offseason, since the Browns won't want to be on the hook for the rest of that contract.
Cutting him would also come with a clean break, since it would only result in $29 million in dead cap, so the Falcons could pounce relatively easily. The only concern is that the Ohio State product had a bit of a down year of his own, so adding another cornerback whose best days are behind him is odd.
According to Pro Football Focus, Ward's 59.7 coverage grade ranked 68th out of 114 qualified cornerbacks. He's only 28, so he's young enough that Ulbrich can get enough out of his skillset, so Stefanski bringing in Ward is the sort of all-in move this defense needs to put the NFL on notice.