Falcons roster gets another bottom-five ranking
· Yahoo Sports
On paper the Atlanta Falcons look a lot like a team that's one piece away from contending. Not everyone agrees with that assessment, though. Earlier this offseason, ESPN ranked their starting lineup going into the 2026 season just 29th in the NFL. It seems they're not the only outlet that sees Atlanta as a bottom-five team in this department.
According to a new list by CBS Sports, ranking the 16-worst rosters in the league, the Falcons are once again 29th. Their biggest criticism is the sorry state of the edge rotation following the season-ending ACL tear for Jalon Walker and the eight-game suspension for James Pearce Jr.
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"Atlanta's pass-rushing unit was initially looked at as a strength, especially after double-dipping at the 2025 NFL Draft by taking Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. in the first round. However, those two pillars have since crumbled as it relates to 2026. Walker suffered a season-ending ACL tear during training camp, and Pearce was just slapped with an eight-game suspension for violating the league's personal conduct policy..." - Jordan Dajani & Tyler Sullivan, CBS Sports
The Falcons have since signed veteran Za'Darius Smith out of retirement, but at this (very late) point in his career he's unlikely to move the needle much at this position.
The Falcons also have question marks at wide receiver and defensive tackle, but this is still a relatively young roster with a lot of talent on both sides of the ball. Their offensive line is above-average, they have the best running back on the planet, a top-10 wide receiver, top-five tight end, a top-five safety and an excellent No. 2, and a respectable cornerback room.
A deep Super Bowl dark-horse this is not, but we just don't understand ranking Atlanta's roster this low given the number of quality pieces they have.
Perhaps the quarterback situation is simply overshadowing the good things the Falcons have going for them - if that problem were solved odds are their rankings and projections would be a lot better right now.
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Falcons roster gets another bottom-five ranking