FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons' 2026 schedule has been known for some time now, and fans have had plenty of opportunity to familiarize themselves with the teams and players on it.
The duration and grueling nature of the NFL season mean that many of these teams will change between now and when the Falcons actually face them, but with the regular season still more than a month away, we'll discuss the landscape as it currently stands. The Worldwide Leader inspired a new way to look at Atlanta's 2026 slate. ESPN recently wrapped up its series highlighting the top 10 players at each position as voted on by scouts, coaches and front office personnel, and the Falcons were represented well. In total, the Falcons had four players ranked at their respective positions. You can read more about each one of them below.
FALCONS IN THE TOP 10
The focus of today's piece, however, isn't the Falcons. It's the players they will face this fall. Specifically, the opposing players good enough to warrant inclusion on ESPN's top 10 lists. I've combed through each of the stories published by Jeremy Fowler to compile a list of all the players Atlanta will face who rank among the very best at their position. This exercise illuminated a few interesting insights about the Falcons' 2026 schedule that I will share at the bottom.
First, I'll present the compiled information in two different ways. I'll start by grouping players by position, which will help show the strongest position groups Atlanta will face this season. Then, I'll list everything by team to show which clubs have the most top-10 players in the eyes of those polled by ESPN for the series.
ESPN TOP 10 PLAYERS ON FALCONS' SCHEDULE — SORTED BY POSITION
| Position | Number of top 10 players | Players in top 10 (rank) |
|---|---|---|
| Running back | 4 | Jahmyr Gibbs (2) | Christian McCaffrey (4) | Saquon Barkley (6) | Kenneth Walker (9) |
| Cornerback | 2 | Denzel Ward (7) | Jaycee Horn (8) |
| Edge defender | 4 | Micah Parsons (2) | Aidan Hutchinson (5) | T.J. Watt (7) | Nick Bosa (8) |
| Defensive tackle | 3 | Chris Jones (4) | Derrick Brown (5) | Dexter Lawrence II (7) |
| Tight end | 6 | George Kittle (3) | Sam LaPorta (4) | Tucker Kraft (6) | Colston Loveland (7) | Mark Andrews (9) | Travis Kelce (10) |
| Offensive tackle | 5 | Penei Sewell (1) | Trent Williams (2) | Tristan Wirfs (3) | Laremy Tunsil (5) | Darnell Wright (6) | |
| Interior offensive line | 3 | Creed Humphrey (3) | Joe Thuney (5) | Trey Smith (7) |
| Quarterback | 5 | Patrick Mahomes (2) | Joe Burrow (4) | Lamar Jackson (5) | Jared Goff (9) | Caleb Williams (10) |
| Linebacker | 7 | Fred Warner (1) | Roquan Smith (2) | Carson Schwesinger (3) | Jack Campbell (5) | Nick Bolton (8) | Edgerrin Cooper (9) | Devin Lloyd (10) |
| Wide receiver | 3 | Ja'Marr Chase (1) | Justin Jefferson (2) | Amon-Ra St. Brown (5) |
| Safety | 5 | Kyle Hamilton (1) | Xavier McKinney (3) | Brian Branch (4) | Antoine Winfield Jr. (7) | Kerby Joseph (9) |
A few quick thoughts on the position-sorted look above:
- Star defenders at the second level — An interesting aspect of this look is that it provides a good sense of which single positions figure to feature the best collection of players throughout the year. Similarly, it helps give an idea of which position groups on the Falcons' roster could have their work cut out for them this fall. With seven linebackers and five safeties on the Falcons' schedule appearing in the top 10, it's safe to say Atlanta's offense will see a lot of quality second-level defenders this season. Especially considering that seven of those players are listed in the top 5 at their respective positions. That means Atlanta's running backs, tight ends and any receivers operating over the middle will need to be locked in. Given that Bijan Robinson and Kyle Pitts also appeared on these top 10 lists, though, that shouldn't be a concern.
- Divine Deablo up for an encore? — In his first year as Atlanta's tight-end eraser, Deablo was sublime. Entering Week 16, the Falcons allowed the third-fewest receiving yards per game to opposing tight ends, and they ended the year giving up the fewest touchdowns to the position. In Year 2, Deablo will have his work cut out for him. Although he won't get a rematch against Cardinals star Trey McBride, who is the No. 2 tight end on this list and had 27 yards on four catches against the Falcons last year, Deablo does get a crack at the defining tight end trio of the last decade in Travis Kelce, Mark Andrews and George Kittle, and he'll face three talented young pass-catchers from the NFC North. Of course, it won't solely fall on Deablo's shoulders to slow them down. Safeties Jessie Bates III and Xavier Watts, and Atlanta's other primary coverage defenders are also going to be key this season.
- A premier slate of offensive tackles — After setting the franchise sack record last season, Atlanta's pass rush faces a who's who list of offensive tackles in 2026. The only player among ESPN's top six tackles the Falcons avoid is Eagles star Jordan Mialata. Otherwise, they have some of the most consistent and well-rounded offensive linemen in the league on the docket. Last season, defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich did not hesitate to dial up extra pressure when he felt it was necessary, and the team was particularly effective attacking the interior of the offensive lines.
ESPN TOP 10 PLAYERS ON FALCONS' SCHEDULE — SORTED BY TEAM
| Team | Number of top 10 players | Players in top 10 (rank) |
|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 1 | EDGE T.J. Watt (7) |
| Carolina Panthers | 3 | DT Derrick Brown (5) | CB Jaycee Horn (8) | LB Devin Lloyd (10) |
| Green Bay Packers | 4 | EDGE Micah Parsons (2) | S Xavier McKinney (3) | TE Tucker Kraft (6) | LB Edgerrin Cooper (9) |
| New Orleans Saints | 0 | N/A |
| Baltimore Ravens | 5 | S Kyle Hamilton (1) | LB Roquan Smith (2) | QB Lamar Jackson (5) | RB Derrick Henry (6) | TE Mark Andrews (9) |
| Chicago Bears | 4 | OG Joe Thuney (5) | OT Darnell Wright (6) | TE Colston Loveland (7) | QB Caleb Williams (10) |
| San Francisco 49ers | 5 | LB Fred Warner (1) | OT Trent Williams (2) | TE George Kittle (3) | RB Christian McCaffrey (4) | EDGE Nick Bosa (8) |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 2 | OT Tristan Wirfs (3) | S Antoine Winfield Jr. (7) |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 3 | WR Ja'Marr Chase (1) | QB Joe Burrow (4) | DT Dexter Lawrence II (7) |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 7 | QB Patrick Mahomes (2) | C Creed Humphrey (3) | DT Chris Jones (4) | OG Trey Smith (7) | LB Nick Bolton (8) | RB Kenneth Walker (9) | TE Travis Kelce (10) |
| Minnesota Vikings | 1 | WR Justin Jefferson (2) |
| Detroit Lions | 9 | OT Penei Sewell (1) | RB Jahmyr Gibbs (2) | TE Sam LaPorta (4) | S Brian Branch (4) | EDGE Aidan Hutchinson (5) | LB Jack Campbell (5) | WR Amon-Ra St. Brown (5) | QB Jared Goff (9) | S Kerby Joseph (9) |
| Cleveland Browns | 2 | LB Carson Schwesinger (3) | CB Denzel Ward (7) |
| Washington Commanders | 1 | OT Laremy Tunsil (5) |
A few quick thoughts on the team-sorted look above:
- Lions and Chiefs lead the way — There's nothing insightful about saying Detroit and Kansas City are good teams, but this helps drive home how talented their rosters really are. The Lions had nine players in the top 10, including seven in the top five at their respective positions, while the Chiefs had seven, led by No. 2 quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Atlanta will have its bye week between its matchup with Kansas City in Week 10 and Detroit in Week 13, which is fortunate, but it's clear these are two quality, balanced rosters.
- Talent pool tilts to the offense — The breakdown between the sides of the ball favors the offense. There are 26 offensive players on this list, compared to 21 on defense. The most offense-heavy teams are Chicago, Kansas City and Detroit with at least four top-10 offensive players on each roster. The most defense-heavy teams are Carolina, Green Bay, Cleveland and Detroit (again).
- How does the NFC South stack up? — The NFC South comes down to the wire seemingly every season, and there is no consensus favorite heading into the 2026 season. Carolina is the reigning division champ, and it has more top-10 players than any other NFC South rival on Atlanta's schedule with three. All are on defense, but there is optimism surrounding the Panthers' offense after strides were made last year and young talent has emerged. The Buccaneers, who won the division for four straight years from 2021-24, have two players on the various list after shuffling their roster a bit this offseason. The Saints won four of their last five games and gained support from many national media members, but they are the only team on Atlanta's schedule without a top 10 player in ESPN's position series.
