The Falcons had an overall disappointing 2024 campaign, but there were several individual silver linings that should have fans excited about the future in Atlanta.
It all starts at the most important position in the sport. Though Kirk Cousins fell flat on his face, Michael Penix Jr. is the single brightest beacon in Flowery Branch.
Around him, the club hit on two of their three top 10 picks before Penix. Drake London and Bijan Robinson are coming off career years, finishing in the top five at their position in yards. The three-headed monster of Penix, London, and Robinson will put asses in seats for a long time in Mercedes-Benz Stadium, but the defense leaves a lot to be desired.
Once again, the Falcons need to bolster the pass rush. It was the second worst in football, in terms of sacks, only ahead of the Patriots, who ironically traded their best pass rusher to the Falcons in Matt Judon. The trade was a complete failure, but much like a boxer, Terry Fontenot has to get off the canvas and keep swinging.
It will be the focal point of the offseason. The entire defense needs some TLC, but there are pieces to build around.
Obviously, the two stars, A.J. Terrell and Jessie Bates, give any defensive coordinator a solid foundation in the secondary, and if Troy Andersen can stay healthy, the linebacker core should be an asset, especially with how Kaden Elliss finished the season. PFF‘s ‘secret superstar’ for the Falcons led the team in pressures and was the only player in football with 150 tackles and five sacks.
Much of the reason that Atlanta wasn’t able to make the playoffs fell on a defense that already moved on from defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake, but Elliss put together a well-rounded season. His 43 pressures led Atlanta, as did his 20.3% pass-rush win rate — good for third among all defenders with 150 or more pass-rushing snaps. Beyond that, Elliss was solid as a run defender yet again, netting a 70.3 PFF run-defense grade. If he can cut down on the missed tackles (13.2%), Elliss could ascend even more in Atlanta in 2025.
Kaden Elliss didn’t have a great start to the season but finished impressively. The Falcons will be relying on their off-ball linebacker to not only contribute to the pass rush again but also help the new defensive coordinator implement his scheme in Atlanta, as he’ll likely be wearing the green dot in 2025.
He’s not a household name like Roquan Smith or Fred Warner, but Elliss is one of the most productive players at his position and does it without much recognition from the national media.
—
Photographer: John Adams/Icon Sportswire
You must log in to post a comment.