Falcons have struck gold at the linebacker position

The Atlanta Falcons defense took strides last season under Jeff Ulbrich, and his system allowed them to finish second in the league in sacks. Not only was it the defensive line that caused havoc almost every Sunday, but it was also the linebacker group that made a big difference. Last season, it was Divine Deablo and Kaden Elliss who spearheaded that group, butit'll look a bit different this season.

Elliss signed with the New Orleans Saints in free agency, which left Deablo without his partner. That led the Falcons to make the necessary moves during the offseason, as they signed Christian Harris and selected Kendal Daniels and Harold Perkins Jr. in the 2026 NFL Draft.

So far through training camp, it might be safe to say that the linebacker group is one of the strongest positions on the team, and that's good news for the Falcons' defense, which will be missing some key players throughout the season. Deablo has been dealing with an injury in camp, which has given Daniels and Perkins more of anopportunity to show what they can do, and they're making the most of it.

Falcons' rookie linebackers are making early impact

In the preseason opener against the Denver Broncos, Daniels wore the green dot for the Falcons and played all the snaps on the three defensive drives. Harris and Daniels split reps on the field, but it was evident that the Falcons had a plan going into the game for how they wanted to use them.

Deablo and Harris are projected to be the starters when the season starts, but it wouldn't be a surprise if Perkins and Daniels gave them a run for their money. Deablo seems like a sure lock after the way he performed last season, so Harris' job is the one that's not safe. That's not all bad for the Falcons, because it shows that they struck gold in the draft with their rookies.

Deablo spoke highly of the rookies during training camp in a story written by Josh Kendall of The Athletic:

""Kendal and Perk are way ahead of what I was expecting from rookies,” Deablo said. “Obviously they have to keep it up, but I’m excited. They don’t mess up a lot. They are on their P’s and Q’s, for sure.”
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Josh Kendall of The Athletic

Falcons' linebacker depth might be strongest on team

It'll be interesting to see how things turn out as the preseason continues. The last time the Falcons had two standout rookie linebackers starting the season, they went to the Super Bowl. It was Deion Jones and De'Vondre Campbell, and their speed and ability to make plays at the second level helped the Falcons stay afloat that season, outside of the historic offense they had.

Perkins and Daniels may not have that same impact with Harris and Deablo ahead of them, but the Falcons now know that they have the depth they need at linebacker if anything happens.

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