Defensive line storylines, roster and key questions

This question can be taken in two different ways. Firstly, who are going to be the Falcons’ starting defensive linemen? Secondly, is the starting vision oriented around a three-down look or a four-man front?

Let’s start with the second question, actually. The real answer is that Atlanta’s defense is going to present multiple different looks, as it did last year. It will switch between four-man and five-man fronts as needed to best handle what the opposing offense presents. But Ulbrich is also a coordinator who adapts to the strengths of his roster, and that could impact what the ideal look is up front. The secondary has several good players and there are some intriguing linebacker options who could have important roles on Sundays. Getting those players on the field, though, might mean adjusting things in the trenches. We will get a better sense of those priorities in camp.

Of course, the players will also have a hand in determining how everything shakes out. David Onyemata and Ruke Orhorhoro played more snaps than any other defensive lineman for the Falcons last season, but that production will have to be replaced as neither is on the roster. The same goes for Kentavius Street, who played nearly 20% of the team’s defensive snaps.

Atlanta has some obvious options on the roster heading into the summer. Da’Shawn Hand is an eight-year NFL veteran who started 13 games for a good Chargers defense last season. He could slide right into the interior defender role Onyemata occupied. The player who gets Orhorhoro’s snaps might very well be the one he was traded for this offseason, Maason Smith. The 23-year-old Smith is a former second-round pick who the organization feels can play his best football in Ulbrich’s defense.

“It’s a player that can play nose tackle and three-tech for us,” Falcons general manager Ian Cunningham said this offseason. “We really are excited about him in an attacking front and being able to get upfield. He’s strong. He’s physical. We’re excited about his upside.”

Those two might have the clearest paths to significant roles on the inside alongside returning players Brandon Dorlus, Zach Harrison and LaCale London. Will any other players emerge in training camp to carve out a role in a rotation-heavy front? We’ll find out.

Joint practices are one of the high points of each training camp, and this year’s pairing with the Indianapolis Colts should provide a true test for Atlanta’s defensive line. The two teams will hold their joint practice sessions on Aug. 19 and 20 ahead of their preseason game on Aug. 22.

Led by perennial Pro Bowler Quenton Nelson. the Colts have long had one of the most reliable offensive lines in the league. Indianapolis averaged 1.2 yards before contact per rushing attempt last season and had the fifth-highest success rate on run plays. The Colts also gave up the seventh-fewest sacks in the NFL and allowed pressure on just 33.9% of team dropbacks.

Last year’s joint practices against the Tennessee Titans provided an early glimpse of the havoc Atlanta’s defensive front could create with its quickness off the ball. The Colts play in a division with some impressive defensive lines and are built to withstand the strengths of their division. The one-on-one drills in the trenches during joint practices will provide some compelling matchups that will give us our clearest idea yet of what the Falcons’ group is capable of.

The leap Dorlus made in Year 2 was one of the most important developments of the 2025 season for Atlanta, even if it didn’t receive quite the attention it deserved. Dorlus’ 8.5 sacks were the second most on the team and the second most among all NFL defensive tackles. In the Falcons’ upfield-focused style, Dorlus proved to be a disruptive force on the interior that helped unlock the rest of the pass rush in a record-setting season.

Now, the question becomes where his game can go next. The biggest leaps players often make are in their first few seasons, and the experience Dorlus gained on the field last season after playing sparingly as a rookie is invaluable. With another offseason program under his belt that helped improve his overall strength and fitness, training camp will show where Dorlus has made strides.