Heading into the 2024 NFL season, the Atlanta Falcons have had a lot of eyeballs on them. The team has had a plethora of new additions to the team, including a brand-new defensive coordinator. So, what are the expectations for this defense?
Nielsen Ravings
In 2023, Ryan Nielsen was the team’s defensive coordinator, helping the defense produce a solid season. The team ranked 11th in total defense, eighth in passing defense, and 20th in rushing defense. Once the season concluded, the team saw a head coaching shift when Arthur Smith was relieved of his duties. This ultimately led to Nielsen taking the defensive coordinator job with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Atlanta eventually hired former Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator, and familiar face, Raheem Morris. Morris, now in his second stint with the Falcons, filled out his staff after being hired in January. Former Washington Huskies defensive coordinator and Rams assistant head coach, Jimmy Lake landed a spot on Morris’ staff, becoming the Falcons’ new defensive coordinator. The defense will see a scheme shift from a 4-3 to a base 3-4 defense, with Lake now wearing the headset.
Path to a pass-rush
Throughout the entire offseason thus far, the fanbase has pleaded for the team to add a premier pass rusher to really put a stamp on this side of the ball. Atlanta’s top two sack leaders, Calais Campbell and Bud Dupree, signed elsewhere this offseason, putting more pressure on this current pass-rush lineup.
Rather than signing any notable defensive players in free agency, general manager Terry Fontenot opted to do so in the NFL Draft this past April. Atlanta landed guys like Ruke Orhorhoro and Brandon Dorlus for the defensive line and Bralen Trice to add to the pass-rush unit. Fontenot did not select a cornerback in the draft, leading to confusion amongst the fanbase.
Doing more with less
While the team has no star-studded pass-rusher, they have Raheem Morris as their head coach. Yes, Morris won’t be on the field physically contributing, but he does have a history of helping coach up the underrated players on the defensive line. Looking back at Morris’ final season in Los Angeles, Morris not only helped two rookies have very impressive seasons, but he took a defense that didn’t have a ton of star players, and produced a serviceable season, finishing 20th in total defense. 2023 third-round pick Kobie Turner notched nine sacks with 50 quarterback pressures, while fellow third-round pick Byron Young tallied eight sacks with two forced fumbles. Morris could very easily do the same here and get the best out of this Atlanta group, helping guys like Arnold Ebiketie continue his development as a pass-rusher.
No Fly Zone?
A secondary led by All-Pro safety Jessie Bates III hopes to remain stable, even after losing former starter Jeff Okudah to the Houston Texans during free agency this offseason. Jimmy Lake’s savviness in coaching defensive backs has been well-documented. During his time in Washington, Lake’s unit limited opponents to only 19.4 points per game in the 2019 season. Lake also contributed to the development of a handful of current players in the NFL, such as Super Bowl Champion and All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie. While this secondary will face off against a fair amount of top wide receivers in 2024—Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb, Davante Adams—they should still be able to hold their own, to some degree.
What to expect in 2024
With all of this being said, it’s worth mentioning that the defense looks eerily similar to the 2023 version—minus a few players signing elsewhere—because the team still has a lot of the players that they had last year, so Atlanta should feel a sense of continuity amongst their players. So, as of now, this is all based on speculation and best-case-scenario thinking. But, with Grady Jarrett returning to the defensive line, Jessie Bates continuing to be a tremendous player and mentor, along with a young pass-rush group working to blossom, expect this defense to finish amongst the top 20, at least. Anything lower than that could result in a disappointing experiment for this coaching staff.
