FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons began their 2025 Organized Team Activities (OTAs) on Tuesday at IBM Performance Field. It marked the first time this offseason both rookies and veterans alike shared the grass for practice.
Not everyone on the 90-man roster was in attendance, which shouldn't be too alarming since this phase of the program is voluntary.
For example, quarterback Kirk Cousins was not present. That may not come as too much of a surprise for the 36-year-old veteran who's currently Atlanta's backup.
Still, a few other notable names missing from team workouts included tight end Kyle Pitts Sr., wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud III, inside linebacker Troy Andersen, outside linebacker Bralen Trice, right tackle Kaleb McGary and defensive lineman Morgan Fox.
Head coach Raheem Morris, who spoke before roll could be taken, provided only an update on Trice, who is at the facility but still working back from his torn ACL sustained last year.
Below are some on-field observations from the nearly two hours of open-viewing period.
Rookie check-in: All five of the Falcons' draft picks were present, but edge rusher Jalon Walker and defensive back Billy Bowman Jr. were the only two who received first-team reps during 11-on-11 work.
Walker was part of a lineup that featured the following players from front to back: defensive linemen David Onyemata, Zach Harrison and Kentavius Street; outside linebacker Khalid Kareem; inside linebacker Kaden Elliss; nickel back Dee Alford; cornerbacks A.J. Terrell Jr. and Mike Hughes; and safeties Jessie Bates III and Jordan Fuller.
The group Bowman ran with was missed, as his elevated rep was only noticed after Morris called out his name in praise. It's likely Bowman took a rep in Alford's place since the Falcons have already said the plan is to train Bowman at nickel.
Something interesting and worth keeping an eye on moving forward: Edge rusher James Pearce Jr. did not participate in 11-on-11 work. He was on the sideline, though, and did participate in other position-specific drills.
Safety rotation: Bates holds one of the Falcons' starting safety spots, but there figures to be competition for his running mate. Fuller and Kevin King rotated opposite of Bates throughout 11-on-11 work.
The Falcons signed Fuller as a free agent this offseason.
King, meanwhile, is entering his second season in Atlanta. King is listed on the roster as a cornerback, which is where most of his NFL experience has been at, but he has a fair amount of safety experience from college.
There are two other safeties to keep in mind as the offseason carries on, too. DeMarcco Hellams suited up for the first time since sustaining an ankle injury during the Falcons' 2024 preseason opener against the Miami Dolphins. Xavier Watts was drafted by the Falcons in the third round and has "legit field speed and reaction time," as Falcons senior editor Will McFadden noted at practice. Watts is a player the Falcons expect to make an impact sooner rather than later.
Center present: Although he has yet to officially re-sign with the Falcons, Ryan Neuzil was a full participant in practice. He was, as expected, the starting center during all first-team reps. On his left, per usual, were guard Matthew Bergeron and tackle Jake Matthews. On Neuzil's right were guard Chris Lindstrom, also per usual, and tackle Storm Norton in place of McGary.
McFadden noted the starting offensive line looked good during 11-on-11 work.
Jovaughn Gwyn was the second team's center. He has appeared in two career games since 2023, only taking snaps on special teams.
Additional notes
– In his first full-team practice as starting quarterback, Michael Penix Jr. looked a little off. His first series in 11-on-11 work, for example, saw three incompletions – one to wide receiver Drake London and then two back-to-back to wide receiver Darnell Mooney – before finally connecting a tiny toss to wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge. McFadden noted Penix's touch on short-yardage throws looked better, though.
– Speaking of Hodge, without McCloud at practice, Hodge spent a lot of time working with the first-team offense as the third wide receiver. Hodge was sporting his new No. 4 jersey, different from the No. 12 he sported last year.
– Divine Deablo stood out alongside fellow inside linebacker Kaden Elliss. Deablo even broke up a pass from Penix, intended for London. Elliss applauded the move after practice. McFadden noted Deablo "could be an underrated add."
– It was difficult to keep up with the rotation up front on defense because there were indeed waves of players. That rotation has been highlighted as a key part of the Falcons' newly implemented attack-style front. The opening group in 11-on-11 work, though, had Harrison, Onyemata, Ruke Orhorhoro and Leonard Floyd across the line. Brandon Dorlus quickly replaced Harrison, then other subs followed.
– Both kickers, Younghoe Koo and Lenny Krieg, were among the specialists. After practice, Koo said he has recovered from the hip injury that placed him on injured reserve late last season. Morris basically said the same beforehand.
– A slew of players rotated as kickoff returners: Alford, Jamal Agnew, Mike Hughes, Carlos Washington Jr., Dylan Drummond and Jesse Matthews, to name a few. Remember, the touchback has been moved to the 35-yard line for 2025. The hope is there will be more live returns.
