The clock is officially ticking on the NFL's roster release deadline. All eyes are on what will happen at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, and now that we're just hours away, there's no better time to dive into what the Atlanta Falcons' 53-man roster could look like when there are no more final auditions to account for.
The Falcons' preseason finale is in the books, and it was a nice showing against the Miami Dolphins. The 17-12 victory was much more dominant for Atlanta than the final score would indicate, as they held Miami's QBs to just 150 passing yards while the front seven stepped up, recording five sacks.
So yeah it was a good day, but reckoning day is coming. And with the cut deadline creeping up on us, it's time for my final roster projection. And while not much has changed from my last prediction, enough did to make it worth diving into.
What will the Atlanta Falcons' final 53-man roster look like?
QBs: Michael Penix Jr., Tua Tagovailoa, Cooper Rush, Jack Strand (4)
Michael Penix Jr. hasn't played all preseason, but he's been cleared for full contact, and he and Tua Tagovailoa's competition for the QB1 job is in full force. But from there it starts to get contentious. UDFA Jack Strand is getting all of the buzz, but he's more of a long-term developmental swing.
Strand has still been behind Cooper Rush in the pecking order all offseason and it's remained that way through Friday night. And after Rush out-played him in Miami, that only set this in motion. But cutting the rookie and allowing him to hit the practice squad and possibly get poached is a risk.
So for now, the Dirty Birds will roster four quarterbacks (while still determining who their starter will be), although this may not last super long.
RBs: Bijan Robinson, Brian Robinson Jr., Tyler Goodson (3)
Out of all the positions on this Falcons' roster, the running back room has to be one of the most set-in-stone despite the lack of any official confirmation. Bijan Robinson and Brian Robinson Jr. are the RB1 and RB2, while Tyler Goodson is running away with the RB3 job amid his breakout summer.
Goodson has been competing with Nate Carter and undrafted rookie Cash Jones all summer, but the Colts game (and joint practice) skewed this heavily in his favor, especially given his special teams value and receiving upside displayed against the Dolphins despite an unproductive rushing output.
It'll be interesting to see if Jones is retained on the practice squad due to his versatility, especially since the long-term upside is there.
WRs: Drake London, Jahan Dotson, Olamide Zaccheus, Zachariah Branch, Chris Blair, Vinny Anthony II (6)
The Falcons' receiver room was mostly set in stone entering Friday night, sans some difficult decisions at the bottom. Of course Drake London, Jahan Dotson, Olamide Zaccheus, and Zachariah Branch are safe, and it seems to be a safe bet that Chris Blair will make it as well--but that's only five.
On the sixth spot, I wavered a fair amount between Vinny Anthony II and Dylan Drummond, and it came down to the preseason finale. But after Anthony produced more on offense and was more productive on special teams, it made it easy to roll with the undrafted rookie for that final spot.
TEs: Kyle Pitts, Charlie Woerner, Austin Hooper (3)
The tight end position has offered little drama for the Falcons this offseason, but Kevin Stefanski has a crystal clear vision for this tight end room--and training camp hasn't changed that. The newly-paid Kyle Pitts will start obviously, but Atlanta is going to deploy his athleticism around the formation more.
So for that reason, TE insurance matters. He signed Austin Hooper for a reason, and Charlie Woerner is essentially this team's fullback, so he's safe. And considering how much this offense will utilize multi-TE sets, they don't need much else--although Jack Velling may get a look on the practice squad after he impressed in the preseason.
OL: Jake Matthews, Matthew Bergeron, Ryan Neuzil, Chris Lindstrom, Jawaan Taylor, Wanya Morris, Kyle Hinton, Corey Levin, Michael Jerrell (9)
The offensive line was another position that was set in stone well before the preseason ever came to a close. The five starters in Matthews, Bergeron, Neuzil, Lindstrom, and Taylor are completely safe, and while the depth spots will offer more of a conversation, there still isn't much debate needed here.
For a second there I was curious if UDFAs James Brockermeyer and Kam Dewberry could steal roster spots from Kyle Hinton and Corey Levin, but Brockermeyer has been a non-factor this summer and Dewberry's hopes went up in smoke when he got hurt--and Bill Callahan isn't cutting his guy Levin.
As for the tackle spots, Wanya Morris isn't going anywhere after he was acquired, and unless he starts the year on IR (which feels unlikely), the Falcons will have to decide between Michael Jerrell and seventh-round pick Ethan Onianwa. But with how raw Onianwa has looked in preseason, they can stash him on the practice squad to develop while Jerrell is the backup RT and new swing tackle.
EDGE: Samson Ebukam, Za'Darius Smith, Azeez Ojulari, Bralen Trice, Cameron Thomas (5)
It's real disappointing the Falcons will be without James Pearce Jr. for the first eight games of the season, but the edge room isn't too bad in his absence. You have the two veterans in Za'Darius Smith and Samson Ebukam, while Azeez Ojulari and Cameron Thomas are favorites to play rotational roles.
However, the wild card here is Bralen Trice. He could get cut once Pearce is activated, but he's had a good summer. And now that he's back from injury, he won't start the year on IR. As long as he stays healthy, he'll finally make his regular season debut and stick around over Cameron Sample and preseason darling Keshawn Banks.
DT: Brandon Dorlus, Maason Smith, Zach Harrison, Da'Shawn Hand, La'Cale London, Chris Williams (6)
The defensive tackle room was labeled one of the weakest areas of this roster earlier this offseason, but it hasn't been much of a point of contention in roster discussions. The biggest subject of debate is if Brandon Dorlus will play more snaps at DT or off the edge--but he's going to play a lot of both.
Though he's spent most of the summer listed at EDGE, I'm keeping him at DT for the sake of this roster prediction. And he'll be joined by Maason Smith, Zach Harrison, and Da'Shawn Hand in the roster locks column--so hopefully Hand doesn't miss time early on or start the 2026 season on IR.
That's not the point though. The final spot will come down to two players: UDFA Carlos Allen Jr. and Chris Williams. And considering the vet has had a good camp, I'll give him the edge--but Allen should stick around on the practice squad or even make the roster in the event Hand misses any time amid his breakout summer.
LB: Divine Deablo, Kendal Daniels, Christian Harris, Harold Perkins Jr. (4)
If you asked me a week ago, this room would look different. Now that I think the Falcons will roster four quarterbacks, I think that'll force the linebackers to sacrifice a roster spot. So instead of Josh Woods or JD Bertrand making the Week 1 roster, neither does, but one will make the practice squad.
It remains to be seen how this pecking order will play out on the depth chart, but after Bertrand sat out the preseason finale, it's hard to feel confident in him making the roster, especially over someone like Woods or even Christian Harris--who had no business being on the roster bubble to begin with.
CB: A.J. Terrell, Mike Hughes, Darnay Holmes, Avieon Terrell, C.J. Henderson, Clark Phillips III (6)
The top of the cornerback room is not the issue. Three spots are locked down, and the debate of how many cornerbacks to roster is ongoing. I think Darnay Holmes is a placeholder starter in the nickel until Billy Bowman Jr. returns or Avieon Terrell steals his job--whichever of those events comes first
But considering Bowman could start the season on IR he's safe, which means between the outside trio. C.J. Henderson and Clark Phillips II have both outperformed Cobee Bryant this summer to the point where both of them win out over him--but deciding between the two of them would be harder.
S: Jessie Bates, Xavier Watts, DeMarcco Hellams, Sydney Brown (4)
I haven't changed my stance on the safety room in any of my 53-man roster predictions, and we all know how the old saying goes: if it ain't broke don't fix it. I won't stray from my belief that Xavier Watts and Jessie Bates are the best safety duo in football--and I thinink Watts is due to go nuclear in Year 2.
Behind them, Sydney Brown has been a great trade pickup, and DeMarcco Hellams has made the most of his first-team reps while Bates was hurt. And considering Brown is versatile enough to play some cornerback, it's not like the Falcons really need to roster anyone else here.
STs: Nick Folk, Jake Bailey, Liam McCullough (3)
The Falcons already cut Matthew Hayball so there's no punter competition, did the same with long snapper Phil Florenzo, and never signed another kicker beyond Nick Folk. That should say it all in regards to special teams coordinator Craig Aukerman's faith in this trio.
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