One Healthy Defensive End. That's What Atlanta Has.

Samson Ebukam is the Falcons' entire defensive end rotation right now. Cameron Sample and Zach Harrison are on the depth chart; neither logged meaningful snaps in 2025. That's the situation heading into Week 1 — one player with real production at the position, and names behind him that are effectively placeholders.

I wrote last week that the Za'Darius Smith signing lasted eight days. What's worth noting now is what that collapse leaves behind. James Pearce Jr. is suspended for the first eight games. Jalon Walker is on injured reserve with a torn ACL. The emergency fix is gone. Atlanta didn't just lose depth at defensive end — they've been trying to solve this problem all summer and are entering the regular season exactly where they started: one injury away from having nobody.

The Falcons are also thin at linebacker, where Josh Woods is the clear starter but the corps behind him is short on proven contributors. DeAngelo Malone is listed out. The defensive infrastructure that was already fragile in 2025 is thinner now than it was then. Atlanta's offense has the pieces — Robinson, Pitts Sr., London, a quarterback decision that at least has two real options again. The defense, particularly up front, does not.