MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – The Falcons have released their first unofficial depth chart of the season.
Key word: Unofficial.
Head coach Arthur Smith will surely say football communications director David Bassity created it and that it doesn't look exactly like what's in his office, or that the depth chart is fluid at this point in the preseason.
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Smith and general manager Terry Fontenot believe they have a more competitive roster than in years past and that it will be hard to make this team at certain spots. They're right on both points. The Falcons will have some tough decisions ahead and roles are earned with quality play in camp.
One thing to note off the top. A pattern, you'll see has emerged. All the rookies are at or near the back of the depth chart. That has been the case each year that Smith has been here, even though we know that's not the exact pecking order to this point.
Just like Kyle Pitts wasn't the third tight end in the 2021 preseason, Bijan Robinson and Matt Bergeron aren't at or near the back of the pack this year. Let's trust what we've seen at practice over this unofficial document. So, can we all agree to keep that in mind before creating a mild panic? Much appreciated.
Players will be vying for top priority during this week's joint practices in Miami and throughout the preseason slate. That's when this depth chart will flesh out, though it probably won't change much in the depth charts down the line.
Let's take a look at the first depth chart, which was formally released on Tuesday. Don't forget the word "unofficial" when you're perusing it.
Feel free to dissect it and throw your opinions/comments/questions about it into the mailbag. We'll get Bair Mail cranked up again this week.
OFFENSE
| Position | Starter | Backup | Reserve | Reserve | Reserve | Reserve | Reserve | Reserve |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WR | Mack Hollins | KhaDarel Hodge | Frank Darby | J.J. Arcega-Whiteside | Keilhan Harris | |||
| TE | Kyle Pitts | Parker Hesse | John FitzPatrick | |||||
| LT | Jake Matthews | Josh Miles | Barry Wesley | |||||
| LG | Matt Hennessy | Matt Bergeron | Jonotthan Harrison | Michael Menet | ||||
| C | Drew Dalman | Ryan Neuzil | Jovaughn Gwyn | |||||
| RG | Chris Lindstrom | Kyle Hinton | Justin Shaffer | |||||
| RT | Kaleb McGary | Jalen Mayfield | Tyler Vrabel | |||||
| TE | Jonnu Smith | MyCole Pruitt | Tucker Fisk | |||||
| WR | Drake London | Scotty Miller | Josh Ali | Penny Hart | Slade Bolden | Matt Sexton | Xavier Malone | |
| FB | Keith Smith | Clint Ratkovich | ||||||
| RB | Cordarrelle Patterson | Tyler Allgeier | Bijan Robinson | Carlos Washington | Godwin Igwebuike | |||
| QB | Desmond Ridder | Taylor Heinicke | Logan Woodside |
DEFENSE
| Position | Starter | Backup | Reserve | Reserve | Reserve |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DL | Grady Jarrett | Timmy Horne | Justin Ellis | LaCale London | |
| DL | David Onyemata | Ta'Quon Graham | Carlos Davis | Albert Huggins | |
| DL | Calais Campbell | Joe Gaziano | Zach Harrison | Caeveon Patton | |
| OLB | Bud Dupree | Lorenzo Carter | Kemoko Turay | ||
| ILB | Kaden Elliss | Mykal Walker | Tae Davis | Mike Jones | |
| ILB | Troy Andersen | Nate Landman | Andre Smith | ||
| OLB | Arnold Ebiketie | Ade Ogundeji | DeAngelo Malone | ||
| CB | A.J. Terrell | Cornell Armstrong | Breon Borders | Natrone Brooks | |
| S | Jessie Bates | Jaylinn Hawkins | DeMarrco Hellams | ||
| S | Richie Grant | Micah Abernathy | Lukas Denis | Cliff Chattman | |
| NB | Dee Alford | Mike Hughes | Clark Phillips III | ||
| CB | Jeff Okudah | Tre Flowers | Darren Hall |
SPECIAL TEAMS
| Position | Starter | Backup | Backup |
|---|---|---|---|
| K | Younghoe Koo | ||
| P | Bradley Pinion | ||
| LS | Liam McCullough | ||
| H | Bradley Pinion | ||
| PR | Mike Hughes | Penny Hart | Scotty Miller |
| KOR | Cordarrelle Patterson |
