Atlanta has been making stew with expired ingredients for far too long when it comes to this defense. For years now, a handful of elite players and quality stopgaps have struggled to make it work alongside players no longer in their primes and options who just haven’t been able to play at a high level.
That appears to be changing this year, with big-time additions and draft capital alike helping to bolster both the starting lineup and depth for a team in need of talent and stability on that side of the ball. Outside of outside linebacker, where I’d expect the team to be pretty well set with their rotation, there’s genuine competition for deep roles across the roster.