The Atlanta Falcons’ defense this season will feature a balanced mix of veteran leadership and young talent. While most of the defensive lineup is set, there’s still room for an additional move or two. Pro Football Network’s Jacob Infante believes veteran cornerback Mike Hilton could be a target.
“At his peak, Mike Hilton was arguably the top nickel cornerback in the NFL. Between stints in Pittsburgh and Cincinnati, he’s put together a strong example as to why the slot cornerback is an extremely valuable position on the field,” Infante wrote. “Falcons and Raiders could both make sneaky pushes, too.”
On the defensive line, veteran David Onyemata remains a key leader. He’s been one of Atlanta’s most consistent and durable starters over the past few seasons.
“At 32 years old, Onyemata is coming off his seventh season of logging more than 500 defensive snaps, proving to be one of the more reliable players at his position in recent years,” wrote Sports Illustrated’s Jonathon Macri.
Given the youth on defense, mentorship will be essential — and that role falls squarely on the shoulders of safety Jessie Bates. He’ll be instrumental in preparing the younger players for the season ahead.
Meanwhile, the linebacker position is facing uncertainty. Troy Andersen was injured during training camp, and his availability going forward is unclear. Blogging Dirty’s Grayson Freestone believes it may be time for the Falcons to move on from the injury-prone linebacker.
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“I hate saying this but Troy Andersen’s potential might no longer be worth his unreliability. Linebacker is a position that requires reliability. The ‘green dot’ has to play every week as the quarterback of the defense. A starting linebacker who is week-to-week with injuries hinders the unit. Andersen has yet to prove he can play a stretch of games without going down with an injury. After a 17-game rookie season (albeit, only starting five games), he has played in nine games. And now we don’t exactly know his status going into his fourth season,” Freestone wrote. “It is time to send him to a team that is willing to risk the unreliability for the playmaking before he leaves for nothing.”
Andersen has shown flashes of playmaking ability, but more often than not, he’s been unavailable. The Falcons will likely monitor the situation closely. If they can get value in return, trading him may be a move the front office seriously considers.
