The Atlanta Falcons are one of the more intriguing teams in the NFL amid the offseason being in full swing. It all starts with quarterback Desmond Ridder and the pressure that sits atop his shoulders this year. Atlanta has built an offense loaded with talent around him, so it really will all come down to Ridder being able to get the ball consistently and efficiently into his playmakers' hands. If he can do that, then the Falcons should have a formidable offense and be competitive in the NFC South. The NFC South in general is up for grabs this season, with no clear favorite heading into training camp. This is why the Falcons have a golden opportunity to take advantage if Ridder can be the guy they drafted him to be. Besides Ridder, there are a few veterans on the roster who have huge seasons ahead of them in staving off rookies for playing time; Tyler Allgeier and Grady Jarrett have tall tasks in staying on the field this year.

Tyler Allgeier is a given, as the Falcons brought in someone by the name of Bijan Robinson in the 2023 NFL Draft. Compared to players like Christian McCaffrey, Saquon Barkley and LaDainian Tomlinson, Robinson has some big expectations coming into the NFL. After posting a solid rookie season last year, Tyler Allgeier is going to have an extremely tough time finding playing time with Robinson alongside him. On the defensive side of the ball, Grady Jarrett is preparing for a battle with rookie defensive end Zach Harrison. Harrison comes into the NFL after a dominating career at Ohio State, so he is as used as a rookie can be to elite offensive line play. Jarrett has been a very solid NFL defensive end over his 9-year career, but Harrison will look to come in and make a difference right away. In general, both Tyler Allgeier and Grady Jarrett are going to end up having their roles pushed by rookies this season.

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Tyler Allgeier

Tyler Allgeier is an absolute no-brainer to be on this list. He had a very solid rookie season, surpassing the 1,000 yard mark with 1,035 yards rushing and three touchdowns on 210 carries. This resulted in a 4.9 average yards per carry, a really good mark for his first year in the NFL. He would have been preparing for a potential breakout season if it weren't for the Falcons selecting Bijan Robinson in the first round of the NFL Draft. No matter how good Allgeier could have been last season, Robinson is coming into the NFL projecting to be the next great running back. Allgeier will undoubtedly see the field this year and deserves to after his output last campaign, but he will be relegated to the bench continually as the season goes on.

Bijan Robinson was incredible at Texas last year; he averaged 6.1 yards per carry on his way to 1,580 yards rushing and 18 touchdowns. Not only was he dominant rushing, but he finished with 19 receptions for 314 yards and two touchdowns in the passing game as well, showing elite explosiveness and route running in the open field. It is clear that he arrives with the Falcons with the skillset to play all over the field and all indications are that the Falcons are planning on using him however they can. This could help Allgeier find the field at the same time as Robinson, but it is obvious already that Robinson will have the upper hand in the backfield. Allgeier figures to be a good NFL running back and it is just some tough luck that a generational running back was drafted the year after he was.

Grady Jarrett

Grady Jarrett is a really solid defensive end and has been for awhile in the NFL. He is also coming off one of his better years finishing with six sacks and 61 total tackles. The Falcons didn't have a very good defense last season, but Jarrett was definitely a bright spot. However, the 30-year-old is entering the latter years of his career, and the Falcons went out and drafted Zach Harrison from Ohio State for a reason. Harrison will come in and fight for playing time right away, and like Bijan Robinson, will push the veterans above him for playing time more and more as the season rolls on.

Zach Harrison was a force on the defensive line for the Ohio State Buckeyes over the last two seasons, and saw regular playing time over his four years in Columbus. He comes in as a pro-style rusher that could also play opposite of Jarrett, but will ultimately push him for playing time at the same end. This comes as no surprise, as it is really hard to sustain production as a defensive end as age begins to creep in. Zach Harrison is young and hungry and coming from a college with a great defensive pedigree, so the Falcons are going to give him every opportunity to prove why they drafted him. Expect Grady Jarrett to lose playing time to Zach Harrison this season.