Breaking down the 2023 Atlanta Falcons training camp roster: Quarterbacks

A breakdown of the Atlanta Falcons quarterback depth chart

The Atlanta Falcons training camp roster still has some flux going on. But in this series, an overview of every player on the roster will be provided. Starting with the quarterback position, the Atlanta Falcons will look very different in the 2023 season than they ever have. The third year of a rebuild is the year to expect better results. At quarterback, a new era is starting for the Falcons. This time, it will be headed up by a third-round pick with an "it factor" that seemingly has him earning starting roles wherever he goes—despite not being an ideal prospect at any level.

Desmond Ridder

Career Stats: 73-of-115 (63.5 percent), 708 Yards, 2 Touchdowns, 0 Interceptions, 16 Carries, 64 Yards, 0 Touchdowns, 3 Fumbles

The Atlanta Falcons are starting Desmond Ridder at quarterback this season, barring injury. He's been working hard in the offseason, and they have put him in a real position to succeed. Atlanta has surrounded him with weapons all over the offense and has put their trust in him by giving him all the No. 1 quarterback reps in practice during OTAs. The Falcons have a prototypical athlete for the position with Ridder. They also have someone with exceptional intangibles for the position.

As he continues to get stronger and more accurate with his passes, they might have the prototypical starting quarterback for their offense too. His mobility will show up a lot on naked bootlegs in play-action concepts. It will show up when they need scrambles for first downs. But it will also show up when he buys time and finds a streaking Kyle Pitts or Drake London for a big gain on a 3rd and long. The Falcons have their guy. They just need to be patient to let him put it all together.

Role with the Falcons in 2023: Starter

Taylor Heinicke

Career Stats: 530-of-830 (63.9 percent), 5,745 Yards, 34 Touchdowns, 24 Interceptions, 97 Carries, 464 Yards, 2 Touchdowns, 1 Catch, -2 Yards, 15 Fumbles

When the Falcons went out and got Taylor Heinicke, they got one of the better backup quarterbacks in the league. While Heinicke isn't going to be a legitimate competitor for the starting quarterback role, he has shown to be more than competent as a spot starter in case of injury and has shown that he can at worst have a Jason Garrett-type career as a backup. Ideally, though, Heinicke only sees time late in games that are blowouts. Heinicke has played around the league for a few years but is rightfully a backup in Atlanta.

Role with the Falcons in 2023: Primary Backup

Logan Woodside

Career Stats: 1-of-3 (33.3 percent), 7 Yards, 0 Touchdowns, 0 Interceptions, 13 Carries, 4 Yards, 0 Touchdowns, 0 Fumbles

Logan Woodside is a guy who backed up at Tennessee before coming to the Falcons. He's not exceptionally good at anything as a quarterback and will struggle to make the roster or even the practice squad. If the Falcons have the choice to bring in a third-string guy outside of him, they should consider it. Woodside wouldn't be worth a roster spot over someone like Malik Willis, Jacob Eason, or Jeff Driskel type who could be cut at the 53-man cut downs.

Role with the Falcons in 2023: Camp backup, likely cut at 53-man cut downs

Austin Aune

Rookie Year

When it comes to camp bodies at quarterback, Austin Aune should be a solid one. He's not going to light up any stat sheets in pre-season. He was a successful enough college player to draw scouting eyes, but there's not much there in terms of professional traits. He is the perfect quarterback for a pre-season camp battle. However, there are much better options for a No. 3 quarterback around the league, and the Falcons would be better served investing in one of those.

Role with the Falcons in 2023: Camp backup, likely cut at 53-man cut downs

All advanced stats are courtesy Pro Football Focus or Football Outsiders. All traditional stats are courtesy of official team websites, NFLGSIS or CFB Stats. All RAS and athletic testing numbers are courtesy of DraftScout.com and Kent Lee Platte's RAS Football website.