In just three days the 2025 Atlanta Falcons will take the field for the first time in front of a sold out crowd at IBM Performance Field. In order to properly celebrate the first week of NFL football, ESPN assembled a team of analysts to rank and grade all 32 rosters.
The Falcons, who seem to be trending in the right direction under young head coach Raheem Morris and second year starter Michael Penix Jr., received a less than inspiring ranking from the panel. The Dirty Birds came in 26th in the league, falling below teams like the Colts, the Patriots, and the Jaguars.
For the team of experts, it all hinges on quarterback Michael Penix- whom writer Seth Walder says will be the ‘X Factor’.
“He was solid in his three starts (in five overall games) last season, with a 51.0 QBR that was almost in line with Kirk Cousins’ efficiency as a starter,” Walder writes. “That’s a tiny sample, however, so we should think of Penix as mostly an unknown. The range of outcomes for the Falcons is vast, and it hinges more on Penix’s potential.”
‘Biggest Strength’
Not sure you needed me to tell you this, but Bijan Robinson is good, really good. In his second season, he was close to doubling his rookie year production. He added 500 more yards on the ground, tallied nearly 100 more carries, and didn’t fumble the football a single time.
Entering year three alongside capable back up Tyler Allgeier, Mike Clay tells us Atlanta’s biggest strength lies in their RB room.
“Bijan Robinson is fresh off a breakout campaign in which he finished top five among backs in snaps, carries, routes, targets, receptions, touches and yards, and added 15 touchdowns (sixth most),” Clay began. “The 2023 No. 8 pick is one of the league’s top offensive playmakers and has a very good backup in Tyler Allgeier — his 2.24 yards after catch since being drafted is third best among 52 RBs with 300-plus carries.”
In an ongoing ESPN series, 80 NFL scouts and executives were polled. The NFL personnel provided ‘top ten’ lists for every position in the league. The insiders ranked Bijan as the leagues fourth best back, finishing one spot behind Jahmyr Gibbs and one spot in front of Christian McCaffrey.
I predict he will cement himself as a top three back in the league after taking yet another jump and improving in year three.
‘Biggest Weakness’
Even the team’s ‘biggest weakness’ didn’t seem like too much of a concern for the trio of analysts creating the list. They identified the Falcons corners as a weak spot, but were almost complimentary in their examination of the position room.
The Falcons’ cornerbacks have a chance to be fine, but there’s no one inspiring after A.J. Terrell,” Mike Clay begins. “Mike Hughes returns as the No. 2 option after a solid 2024 campaign, Dee Alford is back as the primary slot, and Clark Phillips III is the top reserve on the perimeter. Atlanta didn’t make notable additions to a group that allowed the league’s highest catch rate while ranking 26th in pass breakups in 2024.”
Considering what the panel wrote, it is unclear how this iteration of Atlanta fell so low on their list. Either the crew is just very, very low, on Michael Penix, or the group just expected a bigger splash in free agency.
Either way, a ranking of 26th in the league for a team that finished one win below .500 last season feels like a blindside shot. Year two Penix, year three Robinson, and a reimagined pass rush is enough to have me excited about this 2025 Falcons team.
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