It took much longer than people might have expected, but the Falcons finally swung something big just a few weeks before the season to address an area of the team that has been plaguing them for more than a decade, acquiring Matthew Judon from the Patriots for a third-round pick.
Judon won’t just help the Falcons pass rush. He’ll be Atlanta’s pass rush for the most part. Prior to the deal, Atlanta was relying on a hodgepodge of young, unproven players on the EDGE. Now, they have a superstar, a guy who has been to four Pro Bowls and is fourth in the league in pressure rate over the last five seasons. I’m not sure if one player can fix the entire issue, but if someone can, it’s Matthew Judon, and he’ll have a lot of help on the interior from Grady Jarrett and David Onyemata.
In the blink of an eye, the Falcons defense has become much more formidable. This is now a front seven than can strike fear into opposing defenses, but is it enough to make them a serious threat in the NFC?
Even before the Falcons traded for Matthew Judon, they were considered the favorites to win the NFC South. But that said more about the division than it did the Falcons roster. There were still a number of holes on the defensive side of the ball, and there still are.
The secondary, in particular, looks like a mess. Jessie Bates III might be the best safety in football, and A.J. Terrell is a top corner, but after that, the Falcons don’t have much of anything to write home about.
Mike Hughes, who’s been a journeyman throughout his career, has received most of the first-team reps opposite Terrell. If that holds true, it’s not a good thing for the Falcons. Good quarterbacks will pick on him early and often, making it difficult for the Falcons improved pass rush to make much of an impact.
Battling with Hughes for the starting job is Clark Phillips III, a fourth-round pick from 2023. In an ideal world, Phillips takes a massive step in the right direction and supplants Hughes as the starter sooner rather than later, proving to be a competent cornerback on the outside. But judging by his rookie season, that’s a tall task for the Utah product.
The starting safety next to Jessie Bates III is also a concern. Richie Grant appeared to be in an open competition with DeMarcco Hellams for the job, but now Hellams is out with a significant ankle injury. Grant came into the league with high expectations as a second-round pick in 2021, but at no point has he lived up to them and was mostly abysmal as the starter a year ago.
The Falcons did have All-Pro safety Justin Simmons in the building for a workout earlier in the week. He’d surely help cover up one of the Falcons’ biggest holes on the roster, but until something like that happens, this is still a defense that’s going to have trouble against the pass, especially if A.J. Terrell or Jessie Bates miss any amount of time.
The Falcons offense has the potential to be elite. They don’t need to feature a great defense to win a lot of football games. But when talking about competing with the best teams in the NFL, it’s hard to see them doing so consistently with a secondary that’s lacking reliable starters and is paper thin as far as depth is concerned. Until that changes, there’s no reason anybody should be considering them “Super Bowl contenders.”
—
Photo: Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire
You must log in to post a comment.