Beginning with a 32-6 blowout loss at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles, the 2021 Atlanta Falcons season was disappointing from the word go. The team finished with the 26th ranked scoring offense and 29th ranked scoring defense on the season, both of which showed in several blowout losses throughout the year. In what would be the final season in Atlanta for Falcons legend Matt Ryan, the Falcons found themselves treading water a majority of the year, finishing with a 7-10 record and securing the number eight overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Offseason Acquisitions and Departures:
Germain Ifedi, RT (Free Agency, Chicago Bears)
Damien Williams, RB (Free Agency, Chicago Bears)
Elijah Wilkinson, RT (Free Agency, Chicago Bears)
Damiere Byrd, WR (Free Agency, Chicago Bears)Teez Tabor, CB (Free Agency, Chicago Bears)
Auden Tate, WR (Free Agency, Cincinnati Bengals)
Mike Ford, CB (Free Agency, Denver Broncos)
Lorenzo Carter, Edge (Free Agency, New York Giants)
KhaDarel Hodge, WR (Free Agency, Detroit Lions)
Dean Marlowe, S (Free Agency, Detroit Lions)
Nick Kwiatkoski, LB (Free Agency, Las Vegas Raiders)
Marcus Mariota, QB (Free Agency, Las Vegas Raiders)
Casey Hayward, CB (Free Agency, Las Vegas Raiders)
Vincent Taylor, IDL (Free Agency, Houston Texans)
Anthony Firkser, TE (Free Agency, Tennessee Titans)
Rashaan Evans, LB (Free Agency, Tennessee Titans)
Bryan Edwards, WR (Trade, Las Vegas Raiders)
Tyeler Davison, IDL
Lee Smith, TE
A.J. McCarron, QB
Steven Means, Edge
Shawn Williams, S
Daren Bates, LB
Mike Pennel, IDL
Jason Spriggs, LT
Brandon Copeland, Edge
James Vaughters, LB
Jaeden Graham, TE
Josh Rosen, QB
Emmanuel Ellerbee, LB
Tajae Sharpe, WR (Free Agency, Chicago Bears)
Hayden Hurst, TE (Free Agency, Cincinnati Bengals)
Russell Gage, WR (Free Agency, Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Christian Blake, WR (Free Agency, Arizona Cardinals)
Josh Harris, LS (Free Agency, Los Angeles Chargers)
Dante Fowler Jr., Edge (Free Agency, Dallas Cowboys)
Thomas Morstead, P (Free Agency, Miami Dolphins)
Matt Gono, RT (Free Agency, New York Giants)
Foyesade Oluokun, LB (Free Agency, Jacksonville Jaguars)
John Cominsky, IDL (Free Agency, Detroit Lions)
Duron Harmon, S (Free Agency, Las Vegas Raiders)
Mike Davis, RB (Free Agency, Baltimore Ravens)
Josh Andrews, LG (Free Agency, New Orleans Saints)
Fabian Moreau, CB (Free Agency, Houston Texans)
Kendall Sheffield, CB (Free Agency, Houston Texans)
Jonathan Bullard (Free Agency, Minnesota Vikings)
Matt Ryan, QB (Trade, Indianapolis Colts)
Draft Class
Round 1, Pick 8: Drake London, WR, USC
Round 2, Pick 38: Arnold Ebiketie, Edge, Penn State
Round 2, Pick 58: Troy Andersen, LB, Montana State
Round 3, Pick 74: Desmond Ridder, QB, Cincinnati
Round 3, Pick 82: DeAngelo Malone, Edge, Western Kentucky
Round 5, Pick 151: Tyler Allgeier, RB, BYU
Round 6, Pick 190: Justin Shaffer, IOL, Georgia
Round 6, Pick 213: John Fitzpatrick, TE, Georgia
Starter Predictions
Offense:
Quarterback: Marcus Mariota
Running Back: Cordarrelle Patterson
Wide Receiver #1: Drake London
Wide Receiver #2: Bryan Edwards
Wide Receiver #3: Olamide Zaccheaus
Tight End: Kyle Pitts
Left Tackle: Jake Matthews
Left Guard: Jalen Mayfield
Center: Matt Hennessy
Right Guard: Chris Lindstrom
Right Tackle: Kaleb McGary
Defense:
Defensive End: Marlon Davidson
Nose Tackle: Ta’Quon Graham
Defensive End: Grady Jarrett
Outside Linebacker: Lorenzo Carter
Inside Linebacker: Rashaan Evans
Inside Linebacker: Troy Andersen
Outside Linebacker: Arnold Ebeketie
Cornerback: A.J. Terell
Free Safety: Richie Grant
Strong Safety: Jaylinn Hawkins
Cornerback: Casey Hayward
Offensive Strengths
With Matt Ryan no longer leading the offense, and the future of Calvin Ridley being shrouded in mystery, strengths on this offense are difficult to find going into 2022. Dual-threat running back Cordarrelle Patterson and second-year tight end Kyle Pitts are both among the most versatile weapons in the NFL, and will likely be the focal points in this offense in 2022 alongside rookie wide receiver Drake London.
Offensive Weaknesses
The Falcons’ quarterback room is one of the weaker in the NFL, with veteran Marcus Mariota set to start while rookie third-round pick Desmond Ridder gets up to speed at the NFL level. Mariota is a decent enough bridge guy, but he won’t have the deepest group of weapons at his disposal in Atlanta. The team also has multiple question marks along the offensive line, with Jalen Mayfield, Matt Hennessey, and Kaleb McGary all struggling in 2021 and Jake Matthews getting up there in age.
Defensive Strengths
In year two, Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell exploded onto the scene as one of the best pure cover corners in the NFL. This season, the Falcons will be trotting out Terrell in his third season alongside veteran signee Casey Hayward, making up one of the best cornerback duos in the NFL. The team still has Grady Jarrett eating up space on the defensive line and saw some solid flashes from Marlon Davidson in his second year.
Defensive Weaknesses
The Atlanta Falcons defense is full of young players at all three levels that have a ton of potential. Several rookies figure to see substantial playing time in 2022, while second and third-year players such as Richie Grant and Jaylinn Hawkins should transition into full-time starters. While none of these young players are particularly below average, their youth and inexperience are weaknesses for the team right now.
Overall outlook of the 2021 season:
The Atlanta Falcons have been widely seen as a team that could be competing for the number one overall pick in 2023. They traded the best player to ever play for the franchise, they don’t have a ton of firepower offensively, and their defense is very young and still needs to show development going forward. A strong schedule full of super bowl contenders and improving teams could see the Falcons struggle with Marcus Mariota at the helm. C.J. Stroud could very well be in this team’s future.
Schedule:
Week 1: vs New Orleans Saints
Week 2: @ Los Angeles Rams
Week 3: @ Seattle Seahawks
Week 4: vs Cleveland Browns
Week 5: @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Week 6: vs San Francisco 49ers
Week 7: @ Cincinnati Bengals
Week 8: vs Carolina Panthers
Week 9: vs Los Angeles Chargers
Week 10: @ Carolina Panthers (Thursday Night Football)
Week 11: vs Chicago Bears
Week 12: @ Washington Commanders
Week 13: vs Pittsburgh Steelers
Week 14: Bye Week
Week 15: @ New Orleans Saints
Week 16: @ Baltimore Ravens
Week 17: vs Arizona Cardinals
Week 18: vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers