Players under contract for 2026:
Brandon Dorlus
Ruke Orhorhoro
Zach Harrison
Ben Stille (future/reserve)
2026 Free agents:
David Onyemata
Kentavius Street
Elijah Garcia
Sam Roberts
LaCale London
Biggest question facing the position group in 2026:
Can the defensive front improve against the run?
While the Falcons’ pass rush vastly improved last season, the defense struggled to slow down opponents on the ground at times. The unit allowed 126 rushing yards per game and 4.6 yards per carry, which ranked 24th and 25th in the NFL, respectively.
Fixing this will require the Falcons’ young talent to take another step forward next season, especially since veteran Onyemata may not remain in Atlanta. Dorlus and Orhorhoro took a huge jump from Year 1 to 2 and finished with 12 combined sacks. Harrison was en route to a strong Year 3 until a knee injury landed him on injured reserve in Week 12.
Onyemata took the most snaps among the tackles, playing 57.4% of the defense’s total. Orhorhoro wasn’t too far behind with 54.3%. Regardless, if the Falcons don’t re-sign Onyemata, he’ll leave a large void in need of filling. Maybe someone who shows an ability to tackle a runner at — better yet, before — the line of scrimmage will earn those extra reps. That would solve two problems with one body.
Sustaining leads on offense in the second half of games should also help Atlanta improve its numbers against the run next season, as it would force opponents to throw the ball more frequently while playing catch-up.