Kirk Cousins headlines a group of Falcons players that would be at risk if the NFL decided to have another expansion draft

The Atlanta Falcons are entering this season with Michael Penix Jr. expected to be the Week 1 starter for the first time ever. Which makes OTAs and training camp even more important than usual, as they get the young QB up to speed. As they have their eyes on retaining the NFC South crown for the first time since 2016.

While they worry about that, our staff decided to perform a hypothetical NFL expansion draft. The last time the NFL had an expansion draft was when they introduced the Houston Texans in 2002. But what would happen if the 33rd team in the NFL were introduced, and how would it affect the Falcons directly?

Early next week, A to Z Sports' Wendell Ferreira will be sharing the results of our hypothetical expansion draft, including the team's name and their roster. Before that could happen, though, each team had to make players available to be drafted. 

Hypothetical NFL Expansion Draft Rules

1. Each current NFL team has to leave 12 players unprotected.
   
   
2. ⁠Players with 0 or 1 accrued seasons are automatically protected and can't be on the list. Players with no-trade clauses also aren't eligible.
   
   
3. ⁠If the player is selected, the expansion team will absorb both his future salaries and signing bonus prorations.
   
   
4. ⁠The list is final, meaning that teams can't withdraw a player after another one has been selected.
   
   
5. ⁠The expansion team can select a maximum of two players from each NFL team and a maximum of 40 players overall.

12 unprotected Falcons' players

Offensive unprotected players

• Kirk Cousins, QB
• Easton Stick, QB
• David Sills V, WR
• Teagan Quitoriano, TE
• Felipe Franks, TE
• Storm Norton, OT

Six of the Falcons' 12 unprotected players come from the offensive side of the ball. The headliner, of course, is veteran QB Kirk Cousins. Some may question why the Falcons would make him unprotected in this hypothetical situation. To explain, I recommend re-reading rule number three listed above. Part of the reason the Falcons have struggled to get a trade across the finish line to send Cousins elsewhere is his massive contract. It's also the reason they wouldn't be willing to flat-out release him. An expansion draft would give them the chance to get off his entire contract without any of it remaining on their books. 

Defensive unprotected players

• Lamar Jackson, CB
• Kevin King, CB
• Keith Taylor Jr., CB
• Mike Ford Jr., CB
• Khalid Kareem, DE
• Josh Woods, LB

The other six of the Falcons' unprotected players come from the defensive side of the ball. The first thing you will notice is that four players all come from their corner room. This was strategic on my part. The Falcons have eleven CBs currently on their 90-man roster and will have to release five or six as part of their cutdown to 53 after training camp. Though they made four available here, they could only lose a maximum of two, so this felt like a way they could protect their depth elsewhere and potentially thin out the CB battles ahead of training camp.