Falcons’ state roster after the 2023 NFL Draft

Notice how I haven’t named a specific position? Doing so would affect everything Smith about football that has no place in skill spots. If you don’t think this is a real thing, go watch his tape. I expect playmakers to move more than ever in 2023, given the talent available.

I mean, just imagine what Arthur Smith could concoct with this combination:

Bijan Robinson. Kyle Bates. Drake London. Tyler lime. Cordarrell Patterson. Juno Smith.

All of these players can play multiple positions, which means the Falcons can group into a pack and then completely challenge the traditional line-up to exploit the mismatch. As you can see above, there’s also depth here to surviving the issue of an injury or two. The group also does not include Scotty Miller, who can defend himself, and Mack Hollins, who starts his professional career in 2022.

The Falcons have spent dollars getting better in the middle. it worked. They added David Onyemata to lead, as he would line up in a deadly combination with Grady Jarrett.

They added Caden Ellis, a rookie pressure player who had seven sacks in his first season as a full-time player. He will work with super athletic Troy Andersen inside at fullback, with the ability to cover the ball, work off the ball, or run forward as quick passes.

Then there’s the back end, where safety Jessie Bates makes up the biggest boost from free agency. Simply put, he’s a game changer and makes everyone around him better. Richie Grant will definitely benefit from this promotion which will help him build on the progress he made in his sophomore year.

While we’re not looking at the cornerback here, it’s worth noting that the combination of AJ Terrell, Jeff Okudah, Mike Hughes, draft pick Clark Phillips III, and current depth makes the position strong by any measure and will improve the pass defense overall when working with a truly fortified defensive interior.

The Falcons offensive line has talent. There is little doubt about that after what we saw in the group standings last season. They have something else on their side: time. Continuity is king along the offensive front, as the player performs a chore over and over until the timing is perfect and impenetrable. The chemistry is between Caleb McGarry and Chris Lindstrom, who work just as close as any set of protégés. The more often this group plays together, the better. And they really started from a good place. Some question marks remain about the left guard – was Matt Bergeron the man? – But this is the only issue that operates from a position of real strength.