The Atlanta Falcons are looking back on the epic collapse of the 2024 defense and breaking out the pen and paper. New defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich said during his press conference on Monday that he and his staff will begin a two-week digestion period of pouring over every snap on defense and determining the next steps.
This period will allow the team to decide what worked and what ultimately went wrong as the team went from a 6-3 record and 4-0 in the NFC South to missing out on the playoffs entirely. Now, of course, some of the blame goes to quarterback Kirk Cousins who's performance also fell off a cliff and was ultimately replaced by Michael Penix Jr. But the tape will also show all the changes that need to be made on defense both schematically and with personnel.
It remains to be seen if the team's draft strategy of taking the best player on the board will change with their No. 15 overall pick as the need for a defensive stalwart should be their No. 1 priority. A quality pass-rusher should be available at that spot, something that Ulbrich said will get top billing for offseason priority.
