Breaking down Falcons defense, special teams by position

Notable new faces: Ray-Ray McCloud (KR), Rondale Moore (KR), Ryan Sanborn (P)

Returning: Marquice Williams (STC), Younghoe Koo, Bradley Pinion, Liam McCullough, Avery Williams

Projected starter(s): Younghoe Koo (K), Bradley Pinion (P), Liam McCullough (LS), Avery Williams (KR)

Preview: The special-teams boat was the least rocked in the organization. Even the man in charge of the crew is a familiar face. Marquice Williams, the only coordinator back from 2023, enters his fourth season with the Falcons.

The main trio are back, too. Kicker Younghoe Koo embarks on Year 6 in Atlanta, while punter Bradley Pinion and long-snapper Liam McCullough are on Year 3 with the Falcons. That stability will be key for the kicking game. Koo made 86.5% of his field goal attempts in each of the last two seasons but has missed seven kicks from more than 50 yards away in that time after missing just one from that range over his first three seasons.

Returner Avery Williams technically never left, so it’s fair to say he’s also back. The difference is Williams missed all of 2023 due to a knee injury sustained in the offseason, so his return will feel like a fresh addition to some degree. For him, training camping will be all about proving he’s at full health. Either way, he has competition.

Those who are new – receivers Ray-Ray McCloud and Rondale Moore – will compete with Williams for return reps. McCloud and Moore were brought in for their speed and should be important additions to not only the wide receivers room but also special teams units. Across 77 career games, McCloud has returned 108 kickoffs for 2,463 yards and 135 punts for 1,304 yards. Moore’s resume is a bit smaller, but the former second-round pick has returned 13 kickoffs for 291 yards and 22 punts for 182 yards.

Perhaps the most interesting part about this unit, however, isn’t its personnel. It’s the rule changes they’ll have to now operate under. The NFL completely revamped the kickoff format this offseason, and it’s unclear how that will impact the sport this fall. Best believe that will be a key focus in August before things get real in September.