The Atlanta Falcons have taken the painful but necessary first steps towards rebuilding their roster this offseason.
Former MVP quarterback Matt Ryan was traded to the Indianapolis Colts for a third-round pick, Foye Oluokun and Russell Gage signed elsewhere, and the team avoided making any dangerous long-term investments in free agency.
Since the conclusion of the 2022 NFL draft, we’ve re-evaluated our starting lineup projections for Atlanta’s offense, defense and special teams units.
QB: Marcus Mariota
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Despite the team drafting Desmond Ridder in the third round, Marcus Mariota is still more likely to enter Week 1 as the starting quarterback. Mariota has the edge in experience, he won’t turn the ball over and he’s familiar with Arthur Smith’s system. Don’t be surprised to see Ridder at some point during the season, though.
RB Cordarrelle Patterson
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Patterson is back and should again carry the load for the Falcons offense. The team added a few different running backs over the offseason, including rookie Tyler Allgeier. However, the Falcons released Mike Davis after the draft, so I don’t expect much to change for Patterson.
WR1 Drake London
(AP Photo/John Locher)
London, even as a rookie, should be the team’s top wide receiver. He’s got elite size and a huge catch radius that should make him a favorite for quarterback Marcus Mariota. Pairing up London with Pitts has the potential to create headaches for opposing defenses.
WR2: Auden Tate
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Tate had a decent year back in 2019, racking up 40 catches for 575 yards and a touchdown but hasn’t done much since. The 25-year-old should provide quarterback Marcus Mariota with another big target on the outside.
WR3 Olamide Zaccheaus
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