Falcons Defense Analysis, Special Teams by Position

Notable new faces:Ray-Ray McCloud (KR), Rondale Moore (KR), Ryan Sanborn (P)

Back:Marquice Williams (STC), Younghoe Koo, Bradley Pinion, Liam McCullough, Avery Williams

Intended holder(s): Younghoe Koo (K), Bradley Pinion (P), Liam McCullough (LS), Avery Williams (KR)

Preview:The special teams boat has been the least rocked in the organization. Even the man in charge of the team is a familiar face. Marquice Williams, the only returning coordinator from 2023, is entering his fourth season with the Falcons.

The main trio is also back. Kicker Younghoe Koo is entering his sixth year in Atlanta, while kicker Bradley Pinion and long-snapper Liam McCullough are in their third years with the Falcons. That stability will be key to the kicking game. Koo has made 86.5 percent of his field goal attempts in each of the last two seasons, but he has missed seven kicks from 50-plus yards in that span after missing just one from that distance in his first three seasons.

Returning player Avery Williams technically never left the field, so it’s fair to say he’s back as well. The difference is that Williams missed the entire 2023 season with a knee injury suffered in the offseason, so his return will feel like a new addition to some extent. For him, training camp will be about proving he’s fully healthy. Regardless, he’s got competition.

Newcomers Ray-Ray McCloud and Rondale Moore will compete with Williams for ball returns. McCloud and Moore were drafted for their speed and should be important additions not only to the wide receiver room but also to the special teams units. In 77 career games, McCloud has returned 108 kickoffs for 2,463 yards and 135 punts for 1,304 yards. Moore’s resume is a bit smaller, but the former second-round pick has returned 13 kickoffs for 291 yards and 22 punts for 182 yards.

But the most interesting aspect of this unit may not be its personnel. It’s the rule changes that will now force them into place. The NFL completely overhauled the kickoff format this offseason, and it’s unclear how that will impact the sport this fall. It’s likely that will be a major focus in August before things get real in September.