Despite having some of the league’s top players at quarterback, receiver, defensive tackle, and occasionally linebacker, the Atlanta Falcons’ roster always seems to have major holes that limit the team’s potential.
Outside of a handful of established players, including Grady Jarrett, Jake Matthews and A.J. Terrell, this year’s roster is a bit underwhelming on paper. Because of this, most NFL analysts have lukewarm expectations for the Falcons in 2022.
In fact, CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin recently ranked Atlanta’s roster dead last of the 32 teams in the NFL.
EVERY roster in the NFL ranked 1-32 👀
Thoughts? pic.twitter.com/2UT8RQswv4
— CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) July 6, 2022
The Falcons will be without QB Matt Ryan, who kept the team afloat for over a decade, but they still have players on both sides of the football who could start on almost every team in the league.
Even the much-maligned offensive line has two of the NFL’s best in Chris Lindstrom and Jake Matthews. Second-year tight end Kyle Pitts would start for any team in the league, including Kansas City and San Francisco. The same can be said defensively about DL Grady Jarrett and CB A.J. Terrell.
The rest of the roster, you could argue, is filled more with question marks and uncertainty than it is with poor talent. A lot of this comes from the quarterback position. However, if Marcus Mariota has a successful season, then the entire offense would be seen in a different light.
Atlanta even added two receivers, both of whom would have been starters a year ago, in Drake London and Bryan Edwards. On the defensive side, the Falcons signed former Pro Bowl CB Casey Hayward to start opposite Terrell. Along the edge, Lorenzo Carter is a low-risk, high-reward talent added over the offseason. Carter should pair nicely with second-round pick Arnold Ebiketie.
The Falcons defense could also see help with, what should be, a big season for ILB Mykal Walker and safety Richie Grant. Both players need to cement themselves into starting roles at their respective positions as they offer more upside than their competitors.
So while this Atlanta team has its share of question marks, ranking the Falcons among the worst rosters in the NFL seems a tad overboard. The only way to prove the doubters wrong is to do so on the field. Fortunately, we’re not too far away from the start of training camp.
