With Zach Harrison injured and Ruke Orhorhoro a complete liability, the Atlanta Falcons badly needed someone beyond Brandon Dorlus or David Onyemata in their defensive tackle room to step up. And they got lucky when LaCale London answered the call after carving out a larger role down the stretch.
After spending the last couple of seasons as a practice squad-caliber defensive lineman, the Falcons saw London show off his potential in 2025. After appearing in 13 games (and making five starts) last season, he broke out, recording a career-high five sacks, which helped him land a one-year extension.
The 28-year-old was a bit of a late bloomer, but he's now set to be a key piece of Atlanta's defensive line rotation. However, the Falcons brought in another free-agent defensive tackle this offseason who could follow his same trajectory and soon become a key piece of the DT rotation if things go right .
Chris Williams could become a pleasant surprise for the Falcons in 2026
The man in question is Chris Williams, who was signed to a one-year deal worth $2 million back in March. But Ian Cunningham wouldn't have brought him over from Chicago (just like London), if he didn't have high hopes for this contract aging beautifully for the team over the course of this season.
The 28-year-old has an interesting journey to Atlanta though. Williams went undrafted in 2020 and signed with the Indianapolis Colts, where he spent the first three seasons of his career. He appeared in 13 games as a Colt, but mostly bounced around between the active roster and the practice squad.
And the practice squad is something the Wagner product has become quite accustomed to over the years. In 2023, he spent time on the practice squads of the Kansas City Chiefs and Cleveland Browns, before he was traded to Chicago for a sixth-round pick in the weeks leading up to the 2024 season.
Williams spent the last two seasons in Chicago, where he made a combined 31 appearances, where he logged a combined four sacks. The numbers don't exactly jump off the page, but the Dirty Birds aren't exactly asking him to be Dorlus: all they need are some London-esque depth contributors.
The Falcons' defensive tackle room is relatively weak all things considered, so if Williams impresses in training camp, it's not insane to suggest he could carve out an early role in 2026. And if he does, the 6-foot-2, 298-pound defender could enjoy a LaCale London-like trajectory as the new breakout DT.
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