Atlanta Falcons: 5 Presumed starters to be worried about

4. Troy Andersen is a concern for the Atlanta Falcons at linebacker

There is not a single person on the face of this earth that can deny Troy Andersen's talent. The Atlanta Falcons drafted the linebacker in 2022 after a career at Montana State that saw him playing quarterback, running back, and linebacker. He followed that up by running a 4.42 forty-yard dash with a 1.51 ten-yard split and landed a 128" broad jump at the NFL Combine—all at 240-plus pounds.

He wasn't on the field much to start his rookie season but his snaps ramped up as the season went on. There were times when we saw the raw talent, like when he ran down Justin Fields for a big stop in week 11, but we saw him struggle to get guys on the ground and cover, more frequently.

According to Pro Football Focus, he allowed 94.4% of passes his way to be complete (34/36 for 347 yards). That is not a good sign going into his second season, a season in which he will be counted upon.

Yet there is also the fact that he went from playing at the FCS level to playing an extremely difficult position in the NFL for a defense that was awful. A full offseason for him and an upgrade of talent around him should help a lot—keyword: 'should.'