Falcons 'Rebuilding' Defense; How Much Better Will Atlanta Be?

The Atlanta Falcons spent a lot of their free agent cap space on the defense.

Jeremy Brener | May 8, 2023

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Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons have prioritized improving the defense this offseason, specifically through free agency.

After finishing towards the bottom of the league in most major defensive metrics and just two games back of first place in the NFC South, the Falcons believe an improved defense can land them back in the playoffs in 2023.

Bleacher Report ranked every defense in the NFL at its current juncture, and the Falcons landed at No. 21 on the list.

"This offseason, the Atlanta Falcons put a lot of work into rebuilding a defense that ranked 25th in passing yards allowed, 23rd in rushing yards allowed and 27th in total yards allowed last season," Bleacher Report writes. "Players like Jessie Bates III, David Onyemata, Calais Campbell and rookie third-round pick Zach Harrison will make the unit better—though cornerback Isaiah Oliver is a pretty significant loss. How much better the defense can be will depend on the team's offensive efficiency."

While Isaiah Oliver is the team's biggest loss, the Falcons signed multiple potential replacements, including Tre Flowers, Mike Hughes and Jeff Okudah. That could be the team's weak spot given the fact that none of the players above have proven to be 100 percent reliable throughout their careers. However, if any of them can blossom into a legitimate partner opposite A.J. Terrell, the Falcons will move up the defense rankings ... and potentially the standings as well.

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Published May 8, 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.