The 2025 NFL Draft will be pivotal for the Atlanta Falcons, as they need to address multiple spots on their defense after spending a lot of high draft capital over the last few years on offense.
Most Falcons fans want to see the team get a defensive end with one of their top-50 picks, as they only have five to work with. Despite the lack of picks, Atlanta can use the UDFA period to address some of their needs.
One position the Falcons addressed in free agency was linebacker, with the signing of veteran Divine Deablo (two-year, $14 million), which should be an upgrade over Troy Andersen. With a new defensive coordinator (Jeff Ulbrich) taking over, Atlanta should look to add younger talent, which isn’t great news for Andersen.
The former Montana State star was taken in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Andersen was rising up the draft boards because of his athleticism.
The explosive defender lined up at QB, RB, inside, and outside linebacker with the Bobcats. If you were the Falcons at the time, you couldn’t ask for a better prospect, who has the skills and talent to play all three linebacker spots.
As a rookie, Andersen racked up 69 combined tackles, three tackles for loss, three quarterback hits, a pass deflection, and a forced fumble in 17 games (five starts). The former FCS star didn’t excel in pass coverage, allowing a 91.3 completion percentage on targets, a 135.1 pass rating allowed when targeted, but gave up two receiving touchdowns.
While the Falcons would’ve liked to see Andersen perform better against the pass, it was his rookie year. After playing in 17 games as a rookie, the former Day 2 pick has struggled to stay on the field, suiting up in nine games over the last two years.
In 2023, Andersen was only held to two games after suffering a season-ending torn pectoral injury. Then last year, the veteran linebacker played in seven games, but once again, the injury bug struck.
Andersen suffered a knee injury in Week 4 against the New Orleans Saints and missed the next five contests. The veteran linebacker returned in Week 10 but was inactive the next week, and played in the next two games.
However, his third season ended abruptly as the Falcons placed him on injured reserve ahead of their Monday Night Football clash against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 15.
With Andersen struggling to stay on the field, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Atlanta find his replacement in the draft or UDFA period. The former Montana State star is also entering the last year of his rookie deal and will be an unrestricted free agent in 2026, making this a make-or-break season.