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Atlanta Falcons Still Have Two Major Roster Questions Before 2026 Season
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- Atlanta Falcons Still Have Two Major Roster Questions Before 2026 Season
(USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)
Does the Atlanta Falcons have a good enough roster to return to the NFL Playoffs in 2026?
The franchise did a great deal of work this offseason, acquiring talent and making some promising selections in the NFL Draft, but the team will still have to prove it on the field after missing the postseason every year since 2017.
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However, if they want to break the second-longest playoff drought in the NFL, a few positions might need some upgrades. Recently, CBS Sports discussed what is still the biggest offseason priority for every team in the NFC, and unfortunately for the Falcons, they landed on more than one.
First, they believe the Falcons' defensive line is a major question mark and that they need to add more to the group before the season begins.
"The Falcons flipped defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro for Maason Smith . The team also has Brandon Dorlus and Da'Shawn Hand at the position. Edge rusher is a wild card with James Pearce Jr. 's situation."
Smith is the biggest question mark in determining whether this unit can dominate. The Falcons got Smith in a trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars this past April during the draft, and hopefully a change of scenery will be exactly what he needs. The former second-round pick has not been consistent yet, but the system under Jeff Ulbrich should improve that right away. If they are able to unlock more from Smith, there may not be an issue in terms of depth at the position after all.
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Wide receiver was also mentioned as a need for offseason improvement, and after the contract extension to Drake London , that may seem puzzling to some. However, many are concerned about the lack of 'proof of concept' from the rest of the WR room.
"Wide receiver and defensive tackle are on similar footing. At receiver, the team added a few veterans, Jahan Dotson and Olamide Zaccheaus , but those are the only proven commodities aside from Drake London. Atlanta drafted Zachariah Branch in the third round, but he may not be ready to run the full route tree."
Having Branch ready to make an impact as early as week 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers will certainly quiet a ton of critics regarding this position group. Still, the criticism also seems valid as the season approaches. Both Dotson and Zaccheaus have shown signs in the past at other stops that they can make an impact, but it's been very short-lived and not at the potential expense of being considered the second-best receiver on the squad.
If a player like Dotson can keep his normal production we have seen so far in his career, but with a much larger target share, something we are bound to see with this group in Atlanta, then the offense should be in really good shape.
