The Atlanta Falcons have not made the playoffs since the 2017 season, with a squad that was coming fresh off of a Super Bowl appearance. It’s been tough sledding for the Dirty Birds this decade, but Pro Football Focus believes that might be coming to an end.
In the websites 2025 Roster Rankings, that grades the talent of every team using their own well known and respected grading system, the Falcons capped off the top half of the league landing in spot 16.
“For the second time in the past three seasons, the Falcons were the owners of the NFL’s highest-graded offensive line,” PFF published. “Per usual, the star of the group was right guard Chris Lindstrom, who led all guards with a 93.5 PFF overall grade. They lost star center Drew Dalman in free agency but return four other starters who all graded above 70.0 in 2024.”
Last Year’s Biggest Weakness Addressed
It’s impossible not to respect the way head coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot attacked this offseason. Coming out of the 2024 season, the team’s biggest weakness was without question their pass rush. The team finished the season with just 31 sacks in 17 games, the second lowest total in the entire league.
So what did they do? They mortgaged the future on two proven SEC pass rushers.
“Atlanta’s lack of pass-rush productivity was the team’s ultimate undoing as it barely missed the postseason,” the article read. “The Falcons tied for the second-worst PFF pass-rush grade in the NFL while also ranking among the league’s three worst teams in pressure rate and pass-rush win rate. They didn’t have a ton of money to spend in free agency, so most of their hope for improvement lies in their two first-round draft picks, Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr.”
Bringing in two of the top three consensus pass rushers in the class could spell trouble for the rest of NFC South as the Dirty Birds gear up to make a real run in 2025.
It All Comes Down To Penix
Like it or not, this is a quarterback’s league. You can prop him up with a great offensive line, and build up your teams ability to sack theirs, but if you don’t have the right guy under center, you’re not hoisting the Lombardi.
That’s why PFF’s “X Factor” for the Falcons’ 2025 season is Michael Penix Jr. The former eighth overall pick is now holding the keys to Atlanta’s franchise, and what he does with them will determine if they meet expectations.
“Penix was thrust into the starting quarterback role for the final three games of his rookie season and performed very well,” PFF concluded. “In those three starts, he recorded an 84.0 PFF passing grade while using his terrific arm to generate nine big-time throws. He isn’t likely to be the most accurate passer in the league, but his ability to generate explosive plays is the perfect complement to the Falcons’ outstanding running game.”
