FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons have officially signed free agent defensive end Cameron Thomas.
A third-round draft pick by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2022 NFL Draft, Thomas spent the past two seasons playing for the Cleveland Browns. It was in Cleveland that he worked with new Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski, and that familiarity should give Atlanta a good idea of his on-field skills and off-field makeup. Thomas said he is excited to continue playing for Stefanski.
"He's a coach that you can just hear when he talks, he believes in everything he says," Thomas said. "It's really easy as a player to buy in to his beliefs in his program."
Thomas is 6-foot-4 and weighs 265 pounds; he's got the size and strength to win in the trenches at the NFL level. In 2025, his first full season with the Browns, Thomas recorded 2.5 sacks and set new career highs in tackles (28) and quarterback hits (7).
As a prospect coming out of San Diego State University, Thomas was praised for his versatility. Atlanta defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich prizes versatility in his scheme, something Stefanski said he also values while speaking at the NFL Combine.
"We want to be versatile in what we do defensively," Stefanski explained. "We want to have the ability to jump into different looks, if you will, play different coverages, if you will. So, we're always looking for versatility and that's our job. And I think Brick did a great job last season of finding the talents of our players and playing to their talents and not asking them to do something maybe that doesn't highlight their ability."
Thomas has played in 58 games during his four-year career with three starts. He has recorded 79 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 15 quarterback hits, 11 tackles for a loss, 2 pass defenses and a fumble recovery, which he returned for a touchdown.
He will be joining a defense that finished with the second-most sacks in the league in 2025, one spot ahead of the Browns. Ulbrich and defensive line coach Nate Ollie preach an attacking mindset and want the defense to impose itself upon opponents.
"Ulbrich's got respect amongst the league. Being a former player and now a coach, he can understand what a lot of players go through and what he asks," Thomas said. "It's very exciting to be able to play for a coach that's also been a former player. He just throws it all together. He's got a really nice defense."
The NFL's new league year began Wednesday at 4 p.m., meaning teams can now officially sign free agents and finalize trades. Visit our 2026 Free Agency Tracker to stay up to date on the Falcons in free agency.
