It's almost training camp, which can only mean one thing: Some of your favorite players from recent drafts are liable to get cut. The NFL is a cutthroat business, and the Atlanta Falcons are no different. Just ask Kirk Cousins. Add to the mix that most of the recent draft picks, some of which are admittedly busts, are from a former regime and that heightens the chances that they could see their tenure in Atlanta end in 2024. In this exercise, we list three recent Falcons draft busts that could be cut in 2024.
1) EDGE DeAngelo Malone
With the recent loss of edge rusher Ade Ogundeji, one would think that the Falcons are looking to keep as many outside pass-rushers as they can on the roster. But after drafting third-rounder out of Washington, Bralen Trice and signing former Washington Commander James Smith-Williams, former third-rounder DeAngelo Malone's days could be numbered.
Taking just two snaps on defense last season, the other 364 snaps for Malone were on special teams, the most of anybody on the team. With the influx of youth and veterans such as Dane Cruikshank, Malone could find himself on the outside looking in.
2) DL Ta'Quon Graham
It's tough to call a fifth-rounder who gave you solid production in just his second season a bust, but after Ta'Quon Graham carved out a role for himself in 2022, he suffered a season-ending MCL injury that ended the promising season.
When he returned in 2023, he didn't show the same flashes that made him a fan-favorite in 2022.
With Morris and Lake selecting three defensive linemen in the 2024 draft, Graham may be fighting even harder to get back on the field again in 2024.
3) S Richie Grant
Admittedly, this one may be the most far-fetched of the bunch, but there is a timeline where Richie Grant does not make the 53-man roster in 2024. Over the years, Grant has shown that he could be particularly limited in coverage, especially in man-coverage situations against larger defenders.
Morris' and Lake's scheme could help to mask some of those deficiencies from Grant, but if there is a chance that DeMarcco Hellams or even Micah Abernathy finds themselves to be better scheme fits under this new defense, Grant could find his way off the 53-man roster.
