Falcons Mailbag: Who's taking control of nickel position? How legit is James Pearce Jr.?

From @MicGerwing on X/Twitter

How are those CBs, especially Mike Hughes and Clark Philips, doing? The most talked about CB seems to be Natrone Brooks and I think I haven't heard anything about those two so far. And who is the frontrunner for that nickel spot? Dee Alford, Billy Bowman and Philips in play there?

Mike Hughes continues to be one of the more undervalued and under apprecaited pieces of this team, in my opinion. He is a solid compliment to A.J. Terrell, and continues to make his presence known, even when the defense isn't going 100% (an example being when he had a couple punch outs and PBUs through the last two practices this past weekend).

Despite the fact Raheem Morris said the Falcons are planning on moving Phillips more inside to play (and compete) at nickel, that hasn't really manifested much in training camp. The last couple days, especially, Phillips has worked primarily on the outside with the second-team defense. And even that has been overshadowed by (to your point) Brooks' play, which I do agree is notable and making an early case to keep him on this 53-man roster. If I am being honest, I worry about Phillips getting passed by.

Which brings us to nickel: It's obvious this is a two-man race with Alford in the lead. He's getting majority of the starting looks, with Bowman taking the second-team reps. That's not to say Bowman can't make a push as camp goes along, but that's how things are looking right now.

From @dirtyBirdDonut on X/Twitter

So far what's the biggest strength and weakness on both sides of the ball?

Offensive strength: The run game. I mean, c'mon. You return Bijan Robinson, Tyler Allgeier and nearly the entire offensive line you started last season with. The run game isn't going anywhere and will continue to be the cornerstone the Falcons rely on.

Offensive weakness: Simply put? Scoring. This is a high-powered offense. One with lofty expectations by way of explosions. You don't look at Michael Penix Jr.'s arm strength, Drake London's jump ball catches, Darnell Mooney's speed and Bijan Robinson's juke moves and think different. But none of those individual strengths matter if the team isn't getting into the end zone, which is something they struggled at times to do consistently in 2024.

Defensive strength: Jessie Bates III. I know that's a person, not a concept, but you don't have Bates roaming the secondary and not note that as a major strength for this defense. As long as Bates is on the field, the chances of game-changing plays seems high.

Defensive weakness: Limiting first- and second-down production of opposing offenses. Last season, the Falcons defense gave up too much on early downs. It meant their third down pass rush couldn't thrive and teams could easily convert on third-and-short. That was a weakness for this unit that — Atlanta should hope — changes into a strength in 2025.

From @ZachNagel7 on X/Twitter

How legit is James Pearce Jr.?

Very.

I try not to make any big proclamations about a player in training camp. It's not fair, nor does it tend to work out exactly how one may want it to. And I am not going to start doing so now. However, what I will say about Pearce is that he is as advertised based on 1) what his college tape showed, and 2) why the Falcons liked him enough to move back up into the first round to get him to begin with.

He's violent. Rangy. Quick. His get-off is explosive. And he has been very fun to watch, especially once the pads came on. I will note that majority of his reps recently have been against the second-team offensive line. So, while he's made life hard on Kirk Cousins, how he fares in — let's say — joint practices in two weeks will be more indicative of what we could see in the first few games of the season from him.

I am not going to sit here and say Pearce is going to fundamentally change the plight of Falcons' pass rush. But I will say I have not been as excited about a young pass rusher in Atlanta in a very long time. If that excitement and hope turns into sacks and pressures? I absolutely think the grades given to the Falcons for making the move to get Pearce will be higher in hindsight.

From @carrielynnxox on X/Twitter

Which offensive and defensive players have surprised you in a good way?

Offense: David Sills V. I am not going to lie to you, Carrie: I did not think much about Sills going into camp, but every day he has done something that has caught my eye. I have been particularly intrigued when he has gotten some first-team reps lined up beside Drake London. They actually have similar body types, so Zac Robinson could maybe be working through a look for his "bigs." I didn't originally pinpoint Sills as a possible option to make the 53-man roster, but right now? He may be playing his way onto it.

Defense: Divine Deablo. I watched a lot of Deablo tape when he signed with Atlanta, but his tape didn't prepare me for looking upon him Day 1 with pads on being like, "He was a safety?" Or, better yet, "He is not an edge rusher?" He's not as wide a Leonard Floyd, but he's just as tall. And you feel that size on the field. He doesn't have the traditional look of what we have come to think of linebackers in Atlanta, but he absolutely has caught my eye. And I curious to see how he is deployed in live situations alongside Kaden Elliss.