Five players who could break through with the Atlanta Falcons in 2024

For an Atlanta Falcons team hoping to compete in 2024, a handful of players could officially introduce themselves to the rest of the NFL.

With a new coaching staff in place and a franchise quarterback leading the way, which players will stand out? We take a look at five players:

Drake London, receiver

The most obvious and most mentioned player is probably receiver Drake London. In his first two seasons with the Falcons, London failed to reach 1,000 receiving yards, which isn’t entirely his fault, as he’s had to deal with mediocre to poor quarterback play during that span.

London is incredibly talented and has shown flashes of what he can do despite not having a top-tier quarterback to throw him the ball. This year, however, his quarterback is none other than Kirk Cousins. Having a top-15 quarterback in the league will do wonders for the team’s WR1. London should be able to easily surpass 1,000 receiving yards, barring injury.

Kyle Pitts, tight end

You all saw it coming.

Kyle Pitts hasn’t exactly had a breakout season since his rookie year, when Matt Ryan was his quarterback. In between the last two seasons, however, Pitts has dealt with injuries. After last season ended, Pitts revealed that he underwent medial collateral ligament/right lateral ligament surgery and still managed to play all 17 games in 2023.

Assuming Pitts regains his full strength, there should be no doubt about his production this year. With Kirk Cousins ​​throwing him the ball and a new head coach promising to put him forward, Pitts should be able to finally showcase his talents and prove to people why he was the 4th overall pick in 2021.

Clark Phillips III, cornerback

The player most likely to get a start at CB2. In his rookie year, Phillips was a sideline for most of it. Phillips didn’t get much playing time until the end of the season. Now, heading into his sophomore season, Phillips looks to be the starting cornerback opposite AJ Terrell.

The Falcons defense will see a new defensive coordinator in Jimmy Lake, who specializes in developing defensive backs. Between Phillips’ physicality and Lake’s coaching, we can expect Phillips to have a great second year in the league.

Zach Harrison, defensive end

Another rookie prospect after an impressive year in his sophomore season. It wasn’t until the end of the 2023 season that Harrison saw his playing time increase and recorded his first sack, showing solid development.

Next season, Jimmy Lake is expected to play a 3-4 defense, which could allow Harrison to work more inside than he is used to. Harrison is expected to earn the starting job on the defensive line alongside veterans Grady Jarrett and David Onyemata.

With two very experienced veterans in this defensive line room, Harrison should learn from them and continue to progress from there and become what the team hopes he can be.

Matthew Bergeron, offensive guard

Bergeron transitioned from tackle to guard when he arrived in the NFL last season. When Bergeron played left guard in his rookie year, he showed solid promise. While he had some obvious growing pains as a rookie — finishing 57th among all guards in the league — he was still a reliable player on the line, appearing in all 17 games in 2023.

Now, after a full year as a starter, expect Bergeron to continue to grow as both a pass blocker and a run blocker, hopefully creating a sustainable offensive guard duo between himself and Chris Lindstrom.

As the Falcons prepare for the 2024 season, these five players aim to leave their mark on the team and help Atlanta achieve a playoff appearance they have desperately missed.