The Atlanta Falcons open the 2022 NFL regular season against the New Orleans Saints on Sept. 11 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Figuring out the Falcons' 53-man roster this year is more difficult than in years past because of the amount of youth the team has during a transition year. General manager Terry Fontenot and his staff did a good job bringing in depth during the offseason.
The team figuring out what to do at receiver behind Drake London, Bryan Edwards and Olamide Zaccheaus, and at running back behind Cordarrelle Patterson, was fascinating to explore. So, too, is the depth at linebacker where a multitude of players have a case for the final one or two spots.
The roster will be cut to 53 players by 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday. Here is a projection:
QUARTERBACK (3): Marcus Mariota, Desmond Ridder, Feleipe Franks
This group has been locked in for a while now. Mariota should begin the season as the team's starter with Ridder, the rookie from Cincinnati, the backup after a strong preseason. How any competition between Mariota and Ridder unfolds during the season will be an ongoing storyline if Atlanta struggles. Franks is here at quarterback because that's what he's listed as, although he's going to be more of a tight end/special teams player and the team's emergency option. But his potential as a tight end is intriguing enough to keep him around.
RUNNING BACK (4): Cordarrelle Patterson, Damien Williams, Tyler Allgeier, Avery Williams
This group, beyond Patterson and the rookie Allgeier, is incredibly tough to figure out. Damien Williams gets the nod over Qadree Ollison in a very close competition that didn't see either back really establish himself. Avery Williams makes the roster because of his punt return duties -- and the team is still figuring out his transition from cornerback to running back. But he's primarily a special-teamer. It would not be shocking to see Ollison make this roster, though.
FULLBACK (1): Keith Smith
Falcons coach Arthur Smith wants to run the ball. Having a fullback helps that. Smith is also a key special teams player. If Atlanta keeps a fullback, it'll be Smith.
WIDE RECEIVER (6): Drake London, Bryan Edwards, Olamide Zaccheaus, KhaDarel Hodge, Damiere Byrd, Jared Bernhardt
Flip a coin. That's the best way to describe this. London, Edwards and Zaccheaus feel like the starters, and Hodge has had a consistent training camp and special teams value. After that? It could be any number of players. Frank Darby and Cameron Batson are left out here, but could easily replace Byrd or Bernhardt, who has consistently shown up in games this preseason. All four players have roles on special teams, so that doesn't parse it out, either. This is the hardest decision, in my opinion, on the roster and one that waffled in my mind as late as during the preseason finale. Stanley Berryhill should have a chance to be on the practice squad.
TIGHT END (3): Kyle Pitts, Parker Hesse, Anthony Firkser
The Falcons brought in a lot of tight ends throughout camp, but this group has been the top three day-in, day-out performers. You can add Franks here, too, as the No. 4 tight end. Firkser brings experience and a combination of blocking and route-running. Hesse has established himself as a good blocker with decent route-running. Pitts is the team's offensive star.
OFFENSIVE LINE (9): Jake Matthews, Elijah Wilkinson, Drew Dalman, Chris Lindstrom, Kaleb McGary, Matt Hennessy, Jalen Mayfield, Germain Ifedi, Colby Gossett
The biggest question with this group is who starts at center, where Dalman and Hennessy have battled daily. Both will make the roster as they can offer reserve interior line help on game days. Mayfield has had an inconsistent camp, but it's too early to definitively move on from last year's third-round pick. Ifedi likely ends up being the No. 3 tackle. Gossett gets the last spot -- one that initially seemed like a toss-up with tackle Rick Leonard, but the Falcons cut Leonard late last week. It's possible the Falcons surprise and keep a UDFA like Tyler Vrabel, but Gossett -- or going light at the position initially -- seems like the choice.
DEFENSIVE LINE (5): Grady Jarrett, Anthony Rush, Ta'Quon Graham, Marlon Davidson, Abdullah Anderson
We have Davidson on the initial 53-man roster here -- but expect that he'll be placed on injured reserve, opening up a roster spot (likely for another defensive lineman, maybe undrafted free agent Timmy Horne or Derrick Tangelo). The top three are set. Anderson is a player who continued to show flashes during camp and may have benefited when Jalen Dalton suffered an injury in the second preseason game against the Jets and was subsequently waived. If the Falcons choose to move on from Davidson outright, Horne or Tangelo would make sense. This is also an area where Atlanta could look outside its own roster during cuts to make a move.
EDGE RUSHER (4): Lorenzo Carter, Adetokunbo Ogundeji, Arnold Ebiketie, DeAngelo Malone
This group, like quarterback, has felt pretty consistent from the start. Carter was a free agent signing. Ogundeji can build on a good rookie year, and Ebiketie and Malone were Day 2 draft picks. Quinton Bell made a push here, including a blocked punt in the preseason finale Saturday, and it wouldn't be shocking to see him land on the 53, but injuries at other positions pushed him off it for us here. Bell was one of the hardest guys to leave off the roster.
LINEBACKER (5): Rashaan Evans, Mykal Walker, Nick Kwiatkoski, Troy Andersen, Deion Jones
Deion Jones' return from PUP after offseason shoulder surgery actually clouds this position. Walker and Evans are the starters, and Andersen, as a second-round pick, is safe. Jones should make this team as well, although how much he plays will be a different question. It comes down to Kwiatkoski and Dorian Etheridge -- Kwiatkoski is a veteran who has missed most of camp with injury; Etheridge was a camp darling last year who bounced between the practice squad and roster. It's possible they keep both, but Kwiatkoski gets the very, very close call here. Etheridge had a shot, but had to be carted off due to injury in the preseason finale - a tough situation for a player who showed consistency. Don't count out Nathan Landman here, either, although he seems more likely for the practice squad should he clear waivers.
CORNERBACK (6): A.J. Terrell, Casey Hayward, Darren Hall, Mike Ford, Isaiah Oliver, Dee Alford
Alford has been the rising star of training camp and could even ascend all the way to being the team's nickel corner (he has been getting looks there). Terrell and Hayward are the outside starters. Hall, who also had a strong camp, is the top reserve at outside corner. Ford spent most of camp as the top nickel and has special teams value. Oliver, last year's nickelback who is still working his way back from a torn ACL last season, has set Week 1 as a target date. He also has been working at safety in training camp. Alford's emergence may push Ford toward the roster bubble, though.
SAFETY (4): Jaylinn Hawkins, Richie Grant, Dean Marlowe, Erik Harris
This group has been the clear top four from the beginning. Hawkins and Grant should be the starters, with Marlowe and Harris veteran reserves with special teams capability. It would be a surprise to see any of them not make the team. If Atlanta wanted to go deeper here, veteran Teez Tabor has made some plays the second half of training camp.
SPECIALISTS (3): Younghoe Koo (kicker); Bradley Pinion (punter); Liam McCullough (long-snapper)
No questions here. No competition, either. Atlanta could briefly cut Pinion to keep a player like Bell or one of the defensive linemen with the understanding that he'll be back when they move a player (like Marlon Davidson) to injured reserve to keep someone from the waiver process. But that could be risky in case a team came with a huge offer. Usually a team would do that with the long-snapper -- Atlanta did so last year before the season began with Josh Harris -- but McCullough would have to go through waivers as a non-vested player.