Other than one good recreation from Troy Andersen, the story of the within linebacker room in 2024 was the story of Kaden Elliss. He had a little bit of a gradual begin to the yr after which was arguably the staff’s most impactful defender over the ultimate stretch of video games, and everybody else was both harm (Andersen), harm and a rookie (JD Bertrand), or struggling via a tough season (Nate Landman).
Elliss is a enjoyable chess piece and a key participant for the Falcons in 2025, however this previous season ought to have served as a sobering wakeup name that the staff merely doesn’t have a ok, deep sufficient room at this place group. The issue is that it’s hardly the one one, however as a former linebacker himself, Jeff Ulbrich is more likely to push arduous for wanted upgrades right here. The hope is that the Falcons pull in one other
Let’s have a look again on the yr that was for a place group possible set to endure important change. As a reminder, I’m utilizing Professional Soccer Focus for these statistics.
Kaden Elliss
Age: 29 | Expertise: 6 seasons
2024 Stats: 17 begins, 151 tackles, 5 sacks, 43 pressures, 52 run stops, 13.2% missed sort out fee, 52/64 receptions/targets in opposition to, 439 yards allowed, 3 touchdowns, 1 interception, 2 go deflections, 1 compelled fumble
We all know what Kaden Elliss doesn’t do effectively. He lacks the vary and acumen to be a high-end choice in protection, one thing he was pressed into doing far too usually in 2024. At instances he misses tackles he shouldn’t and takes poor angles to the ball, and that’s irritating.
However these flaws confirmed up extra in 2024 as a result of Elliss was requested to do an excessive amount of, a product of weak depth and Troy Andersen’s damage. What Elliss does effectively is just about every part else, and even with an enormous workload, he was a formidable participant in 2024.
He led the staff in pressures (!), tackles, and almost led them in sacks, all whereas taking part in a well-recognized high quality stage of run protection the staff badly wanted. With a lot falling aside round him, Elliss overcame a semi-slow begin to the season to turn into a dervish the remainder of the way in which, together with his post-bye breakout as a go rusher coming at a really welcome time. Elliss is likely one of the a handful of Atlanta’s greatest and most important defenders, and what the 2024 season underscored is that the Falcons badly want so as to add assist at inside linebacker to allow them to have him concentrate on the issues he’s actually, actually good at.
Elliss is again in 2025 and can once more be counted upon as a significant cog for the Falcons, hopefully with much less frequent protection tasks and extra work centered on the run and chasing down quarterbacks, the place we all know he excels.
Troy Andersen
Age: 25 | Expertise: 3 seasons
2024 Stats: 7 video games with 4 begins, 47 tackles, 2 pressures, 13 run stops, 11.5% missed sort out fee, 18/20 receptions/targets in opposition to, 157 yards allowed, 1 interception, 1 defensive landing
Andersen was fairly good in opposition to the Steelers, scuffled a bit in opposition to the Eagles and Chiefs, after which had the sport of his life in opposition to the Saints. It was an uneven begin to the season, however there have been recommendations of actual progress for the gifted linebacker. Then it was principally throughout, as Andersen solely performed in three extra video games and barely regarded wholesome when he did.
That was deeply irritating as a result of Andersen has protection expertise each different inside linebacker on the roster merely doesn’t possess, and massive play potential that might have helped swing different video games had he been in a position to play in them. Whereas there have been a handful of accidents that helped derail a season that went wildly off the tracks for a dozen causes, Andersen exiting in favor of an overmatched Nate Landman and rookie JD Bertrand is an underrated drawback.
Damage has outlined Andersen’s profession to this point, as he has appeared in simply 9 video games over the previous two seasons, and the Falcons might not have the ability to rely on him being a starter in 2025. The intriguing expertise will nonetheless make him an essential participant for the Falcons if he can keep wholesome.
Nate Landman
Age: 26 | Expertise: 3 seasons
2024 Stats: 13 video games with 9 begins, 81 tackles, 1 stress, 21 run stops, 10.4% missed sort out fee, 25/27 receptions/targets in opposition to, 261 yards allowed, 3 compelled fumbles
If 2023 was all about Landman being a really nice shock—and he was—the 2024 season was about his limitations and the risks of being closely reliant on a participant who’s pretty one-dimensional. The Falcons in 2023 had Landman mainly working in opposition to the run, used him sparingly however successfully as a go rusher, and labored arduous to restrict his protection publicity. The end result was a season the place Landman was an incredible asset in opposition to the run, an often very helpful go rusher, and solely a gentle legal responsibility in protection.
Beneath Jimmy Lake, issues went far worse for Landman. He was worse in protection, much less impactful as a run defender, and each sparingly used and poorly used as a go rusher—he had 20 snaps chasing a quarterback in 2024 and only one stress versus 40 snaps and eight pressures in 2023—and his gradual foot pace and response time in area was uncovered repeatedly. There have been nonetheless stretches the place we noticed what Landman does effectively—he’s constructed to leap into the hole the operating again is making an attempt to get via and make them rue that call—however there have been additionally stretches in opposition to groups like Denver and Minnesota the place he regarded like one of many worst defenders on the sphere.
As an RFA in 2025, Landman may very well be again with an unique spherical tender and does ship early down and particular groups worth, however the want for an improve on the place and the presence of Elliss, Andersen, and JD Bertrand may conspire to have him taking part in elsewhere.
JD Bertrand
Age: 24 | Expertise: Rookie
2024 Stats: 12 video games, 23 tackles, 1 sack, 4 pressures, 3 run stops, 13.6% missed sort out fee, 16/17 receptions/targets in opposition to, 136 yards allowed
Bertrand regarded like a rookie, and he was fully overmatched in protection in a means that implies important enchancment will likely be wanted earlier than the Falcons really feel they’ll play him as greater than a calmly used reserve on protection. His particular groups worth was there, nonetheless.
There have been flashes of the participant the Falcons actually appreciated coming into the draft, although. He was a helpful run defender—helpful sufficient that he may supplant Landman this yr—and located actual utility as a blitzing choice, being despatched as a go rusher the identical variety of instances as Landman and arising with another sack and three further pressures. If he can enhance his tackling and protection expertise, Bertrand ought to have the ability to discover his means into an occasional function as a blitzer and run defender to spell Kaden Elliss and Troy Andersen.
Josh Woods and Rashaan Evans
I might do complete writeups for each of those guys, but it surely’s the offseason for me too, they usually every performed one defensive snap. Likelihood is neither one will return to the Falcons in 2025 except one thing goes fairly awry.
