Falcons Way-Too-Early Power Rankings: Where's Atlanta?

The Atlanta Falcons are eyeing next season. Could they win the NFC South?

Jeremy Brener | Feb 14, 2023

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Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons have their sights set on the 2023 season, just like everyone else after Super Bowl LVII ended with the Kansas City Chiefs beating the Philadelphia Eagles.

But it's never too early to start talking about next season, and ESPN has already curated power rankings for 2023. The Falcons find themselves in 26th in the initial power rankings with the offseason being the "time for growth" for Atlanta.

"The Falcons finally have cap space after two years of living near the edge and having to make difficult decisions with how to structure their roster," ESPN writes. "How will they use that money? There are options -- but starting out with improving the front seven and pass rush is a place coach Arthur Smith highlighted and is expected to put an emphasis on in the next few months."

Depending on how the Falcons perform in free agency, Atlanta could find itself fighting for a division title in 2023. With question marks surrounding the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints, the Falcons could enter next season with the best chance to win the NFC South if they play their cards right in free agency.

With strong needs on the defensive line, quarterback and wide receiver, the Falcons have a chance to fill them and take the vacant spot as the top team in the division.

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Published Feb 14, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.