Falcons LB Group Ranks Among PFF’s Bottom Half

While Kaden Elliss’ back-to-back 100-plus tackle seasons might serve as a decent distraction, the Atlanta Falcons' overall linebacker group has quietly remained one of the team’s more concerning weaknesses.

Last season, the Falcons earned the third-worst tackling grade in the NFL (33.3), according to Pro Football Focus (PFF). And when it comes to linebacker pass coverage grades, Atlanta didn’t have a single player rank inside the top 50.

“Atlanta’s linebacker situation is a bit muddied by the positional fluidity of first-round pick Jalon Walker. His best work at Georgia came about while rushing the passer, but he is certainly athletic enough to help off the ball,” Wasserman mentioned. “The Falcons already possess a hybrid player in Kaden Elliss, who led the team with 43 pressures last season.”

Whether Walker is used as an inside linebacker or an edge rusher, his production and versatility at Georgia suggest that he could provide immediate relief at the position. Among qualifying FBS linebackers (minimum 300 snaps), Walker had the ninth-highest pass-rushing grade according to PFF, while also grading out as Georgia’s top coverage linebacker. 

Since taking over as Atlanta’s defensive coordinator, Jeff Ulbrich has emphasized the importance of “multiplicity,” the ability to line up in a variety of defensive fronts based on another team’s strengths and tendencies."

"On first and second down, I want, especially Jalon, to really have an opportunity to just master playing on the edge because I think that there's something there that's really special," Ulbrich said. "Give him an opportunity just to have one home initially and become as good as he can at that. Then, from a third-down perspective, we can get creative with him, and that'll be part of his superpower."

Another offseason addition expected to help, especially in coverage, is veteran linebacker Divine Deablo. After four seasons with the Raiders, he signed with the Falcons and was named Atlanta’s breakout candidate by Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine.

His best pro season was in 2023, starting 15 games for the Las Vegas Raiders while totaling a career-high 106 tackles and four tackles for loss. 

Ballentine mentioned that Deablo’s strengths in coverage should be helpful to a Falcons defense that could use some help in that area.

“The Falcons definitely gravitated to a certain type of defender this offseason. Jeff Ulbrich's arrival as defensive coordinator signaled a shift to smaller, faster players on defense,” wrote Ballentine. “It's also why Divine Deablo's coverage chops and ability to run sideline-to-sideline are going to stand out in Atlanta's summer program this offseason.” 

Besides the two notable additions to the unit, Kaden Elliss is coming off a career-best season where he made 108 solo tackles (6th most in the NFL) and five sacks (third among inside linebackers). 

Now that the Falcons have linebackers with a variety of skill sets, there is the potential for significant improvement. Atlanta made an effort to improve their pass rush by adding Walker, fellow First-round pick James Pearce Jr., and veteran Leonard Floyd. The Falcons may finally have the personnel needed to create more disruption up front, which would take some pressure off their linebackers at the second level.