How far will the Atlanta Falcons go in 2023?
The Falcons finished with a record of 7-10 last season, good enough for fourth place in the NFC South and 13th in the NFC. Quarterback Marcus Mariota threw for 2,219 passing yards and 15 touchdowns in 13 games played for the Falcons last season.
Atlanta welcomed six rookies to the roster during the 2023 NFL Draft, including Texas running back Bijan Robinson and Syracuse offensive lineman Matthew Bergeron. The Falcons shored up their defense with Ohio State edge rusher Zach Harrison and Utah cornerback Clark Phillips III in the third and fourth rounds, respectively.
What could the starting lineups for the Falcons look like heading into the 2023 NFL season? And will it be enough to make a potential push for the playoffs?
Offense
Quarterback: Desmond Ridder
Running back: Bijan Robinson
Wide Receiver 1: Drake London
Wide Receiver 2: Mack Hollins
Wide Receiver 3: Scotty Miller
Tight End: Kyle Pitts
Fullback: Keith Smith
Left Tackle: Jake Matthews
Left Guard: Matthew Bergeron
Center: Drew Dalman
Right Guard: Chris Lindstrom
Right Tackle: Kaleb McGary
The Falcons' offense finished with 2,927 passing yards, putting them near the bottom of the league and one spot over the Chicago Bears. Quarterback Desmond Ridder, a former 3rd-round pick out of Cincinnati, finished 708 passing yards and two touchdowns. He threw for as many as 224 yards and two touchdowns during a 30-17 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in January, a game that saw running back Tyler Allgeier rush for 135 yards on 24 attempts.
Robinson played in 31 games for Texas, racking up 3,410 rushing yards and 33 touchdowns on 539 attempts. He rushed for as many as 243 yards against the Kansas Jayhawks in November last season, racking up four touchdowns as the Longhorns earned a 55-14 win in Lawrence.
Robinson said that Falcons head coach Arthur Smith will use him “everywhere” on Saturday, according to ESPN Staff Writer Harry Lyles Jr.
“He uses me everywhere, from receiver to running back,” Robinson said, via Lyles. “He lets me do my abilities and skill set the right way, whether it's catching the ball, running routes, obviously running the football, blocking and doing it all.”
Defense
Defensive End: Calais Campbell
Defensive Tackle: David Onyemata
Defensive End: Grady Jarrett
Outside linebacker: Lorenzo Carter
Inside Linebacker: Troy Andersen
Inside Linebacker: Kaden Elliss
Outside Linebacker: Bud Dupree
Cornerback 1: A.J. Terrell
Cornerback 2: Jeff Okudah
Strong Safety: Richie Grant
Free Safety: Jessie Bates III
Atlanta's defense ended last season with 3,942 passing yards allowed and 2,214 rushing yards allowed, putting them at 25th and 23rd in the NFL, respectively. Linebacker Rashaan Evans led the team with 159 tackles, while defensive tackle Grady Jarrett took first place on the squad with six sacks.
The Detroit Lions sent cornerback Jeff Okudah to the Falcons in exchange for a 2023 fifth-round pick in April, according to NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero. Okudah played and started in 15 games for the Lions last season, gaining 73 tackles, two tackles for loss and one interception.
Special Teams
Kicker: Younghoe Koo
Holder: Bradley Pinion
Long-snapper: Liam McCullough
Punter: Bradley Pinion
Punt return: Avery Williams
Kick return: Avery Williams
Kicker Younghoe Koo made 32 of his 37 field goals in 17 games played for the Falcons last season. Punter Bradley Pinion punted for 2,845 yards on 62 punts.
Avery Williams can play an important role on a return team that earned 634 yards on kickoff returns and 292 on punt returns. Cordarrelle Patterson, a former Minnesota Viking and Chicago Bear, can also make an impact on kick returns.
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