The One Free Agent Who Can Fix the Falcons’ Biggest Offseason Weakness!

The Falcons need to address their secondary concerns in the 2025 NFL offseason.

All the attention of the Atlanta Falcons' 2025 offseason will be on their transition to Michael Penix Jr., but the team has rightfully spent most of its focus on defense. While the offensive transition will be worth monitoring, the Falcons' defense was its biggest issue in 2024, making that the top priority of the 2025 NFL offseason

Under the Raheem Morris era, the Falcons' defense has typically been one of the stingiest units in the NFL. However, they took a steep backstep in 2024 under first-year defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake. Morris responded by firing Lake at the end of the year and replacing him with former New York Jets interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich.

Atlanta ranked bottom-10 in points and total yards allowed but particularly struggled against the pass. The Falcons' secondary allowed the highest completion percentage in the league and ninth-most passing yards per game.

While the hiring of Ulbrich signals a changing of the guard, the Falcons will also potentially lose a large portion of its defense in free agency. Star defensive backs AJ Terrell and Jessie Bates III will return, but Mike Hughes, Justin Simmons and Kevin King all hit the open market. None appear likely to return, leaving many roster holes open to be filled.

With Ulbrich expected to implement a new system, expect him to bring over some of his own players to improve Atlanta's unit. One of them could be the key piece the Falcons need to bring their secondary back up to speed in the 2025 NFL offseason.

CB DJ Reed

After brief stints with the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks, DJ Reed's career fully took off with the Jets. Reed signed with New York in 2022 and has since developed into one of the most underrated cornerbacks in the league. In 2024, Reed received a 70.7 player grade from Pro Football Focus, placing him within the top 20 percent of all eligible cornerbacks.

All the attention in the Jets secondary over the past two seasons has been on Sauce Gardner, but Reed has quietly been equally as impressive. Since 2022, Reed has had 32 total pass breakups and two interceptions. He allowed an 82.9 passer rating when thrown at in 2024, the 10th-best in the league.

Since Reed joined forces in Ulbrich's defense, his career has fully taken off. At 28, Reed is one of the top cornerbacks available in free agency. There is a strong chance he re-signs with the Jets, but given how successful he has been with Ulbrich, it would not be surprising to see him follow the 48-year-old to Atlanta.

While Reed thrives in single-man coverage, he is one of the most well-rounded cornerbacks in the NFL. Reed received an above-average PFF player grade in pass-rush, run defense and coverage, making him one of the rare defensive backs with that accomplishment. His speed and athleticism in all areas make him an ideal fit in Morris and Ulbrich's plans.

Falcons' defense with DJ Reed

With Reed, the Falcons would immediately boast one of the top cornerback duos in the league. Reed would be able to continue his role as a top-end CB2 in Ulbrich's system as Terrell's new running mate.

The Falcons would still need to replace Simmons at safety, but adding Reed would immediately give them one of the best secondaries on paper. After struggling against the pass for most of 2024, a Terrell-Reed tandem would be a sight for sore eyes.

If Atlanta is able to obtain an elite cornerback like Reed, it would allow Morris to turn his focus to the Falcons' pass rush in free agency. Despite adding Matthew Judon, Atlanta was also poor in generating pressure, recording just 31 sacks, the second-fewest in the league. Judon becomes a free agent in March, along with linebacker Lorenzo Carter.

Historically, Morris' defenses love to blitz. During his days as the Falcons' defensive coordinator, Morris consistently blitzed at one of the highest rates in the league. That number took a slight dip in 2024, as did the defense's overall efficiency. Adding new pass-rushers in the offseason is as much of a priority as the secondary is.

However, even with a formidable pass rush, the Falcons will not be able to return to the playoffs without improving its secondary. Signing an elite cornerback to pair with Terrell is the team's biggest offseason need, and Reed would be the ideal answer.