The Atlanta Falcons opened 2026 minicamp with a new head coach in Kevin Stefanski and a quiet belief that last year’s near-miss for the playoffs was a fluke. But that optimism comes with a sharp edge. Some guys on the roster bubble are about to get squeezed.
Stefanski inherits a team that feels close but not quite there. The front office added a few pieces in the draft and free agency. That means a handful of holdovers from last season are suddenly fighting for their jobs. Here are three players who need a strong summer or they might not be around come September.
RB Nathan Carter — The Odd Man Out in a Crowded Backfield
Carter was an undrafted free agent in 2025 who somehow survived final cuts. He told reporters last summer he was “kind of in awe” when the Falcons told him he’d made the 53-man roster. But surviving is one thing. Getting touches is another.
He appeared in just seven games last season and carried the ball only nine times for 60 yards. On a team with Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier, that’s not a path to job security. The Falcons then added Brian Robinson Jr. and Tyler Goodson in the offseason. Carter is now the fourth-string back on the depth chart, according to ESPN.
Bijan Robinson told the team’s website the new coaching staff has been serious about creating urgency at practice. “There’s not really a break time to do anything,” he said. For Carter, that urgency might mean he needs to show something special in camp or start looking for work elsewhere.
CB Cobee Bryant — An Undrafted Rookie Who Got Overlooked in the Draft
Bryant made one start and played in seven games as an undrafted rookie last season. That’s not bad for a guy nobody picked. But he only defended one pass and made 10 tackles. The Falcons then used a second-round pick on Clemson corner Avieon Terrell. That draft choice basically put a target on Bryant’s back.
He fell to third string behind AJ Terrell, Mike Hughes, and Clark Phillips III. Veteran CJ Henderson is also in the mix. But Bryant did show some fight late last season. Former head coach Raheem Morris pointed to his December game against the Buccaneers, when Bryant stepped in after Hughes got hurt and held up against Mike Evans. “No fear, no blink,” Morris said.
Still, the depth chart is stacked. And the new coaching staff doesn’t have the same loyalty to a late-season feel-good story.
WR Chris Blair — A Long Shot Who Keeps Hanging Around
Blair has been with the Falcons since 2023 as an undrafted free agent. He has played in eight career games and caught exactly one pass: a 17-yard first down against the Giants in 2024. That’s not a resume that screams job security.
Atlanta’s receiver room is shallow behind Drake London. Jahan Dotson and Olamide Zaccheaus are the next guys up, but neither is proven. Rookie Zachariah Branch could push for a starting spot. Dylan Drummond and Vinny Anthony II are fighting for depth roles. Blair is stuck in a battle with Juice Wells Jr. and Le’Meke Brockington for what might be just one roster spot at the bottom of the depth chart.
The Falcons probably keep six wide receivers. Blair might be seventh in line. But he has stuck around longer than most undrafted guys do. That counts for something. Maybe just not enough.
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