The Atlanta Falcons have been blessed with some terrific receivers over the years, and they’ve got a quality group in the here and now. Between Drake London, Darnell Mooney, and Ray-Ray McCloud, Michael Penix will not lack for capable targets to throw to, and that’s before you add Kyle Pitts and Bijan Robinson into the mix.
While the position is settled at the top and there are a pair of reserves all but certain to make the roster if they’re healthy, there’s room for one young player who can contribute at receiver and potentially push his way into a more major role down the line. The question is who will take that slot, given that there are _many_ players jockeying for it, and who will have to settle for the practice squad or no spot at all.
Here’s a look at the position as training camp looms.
### Starters
**Drake London, Darnell Mooney, Ray-Ray McCloud**
London is quietly a pretty great player already, and the rapport he forged with Michael Penix last year took his game to new heights in the final few weeks of the season. He’s locked in as the team’s top option and is lethal down the sideline and over the middle of the field, with the ability to win contested catch situations and put defenders in the dirt. He’ll lead the team in receiving this season easily, assuming good health.
Mooney’s a dangerous downfield threat who now gets to work with a quarterback who can and will air it out. His 2024 season was excellent when he was healthy, and more consistency under center ought to help him reach or exceed last year’s numbers. The fact that there are so many dangerous players around him means the Falcons can and should find ways to use him on screens and shorter routes and count on blocking and his speed to turn those modest initial gains into long ones.
McCloud, meanwhile, was a bit of a revelation in his own right. A lightly used runner and receiver through most of his career, McCloud took the slot receiver role and put together a career year that saw him nearly triple his career high in receiving yards. On intermediate routes and especially over the middle, where he showed toughness and quality hands, McCloud was a godsend for Kirk Cousins in particular. He may struggle to reach those heights again in 2025 with so many mouths to feed, but he’s a tough and useful player who is locked into that role again. The fact that he was a strong kick returner only helps his case.
### Roster locks
**KhaDarel Hodge, Jamal Agnew**
Hodge is awesome. A big play machine on special teams, he’s also able to make the occasional impact as a receiver, offering enough straight line speed and wiggle to serve as a yards-after-the catch threat. That plus his underrated blocking skills make him an absolute lock for a roster spot, even if we don’t know if he’ll be listed (and rolled out) as WR, WR5, or even WR6.
Agnew is a dangerous returner who should have one spot locked up there if he’s healthy, with the other likely going to McCloud. As a receiver, he brings the same ability to make defenders miss and the vision to turn modest gains into major ones, making him a likely occasional option on screens and shorter routes in 2025. Like Hodge, we don’t know how often he’ll play, but he should make the team.
### Deep reserves and roster hopefuls
**Casey Washington, Chris Blair, Makai Polk, Nick Nash, Dylan Drummond, David Sills, Jessie Matthews, Quincy Skinner**
There may only be one roster spot available here, but you can bet on at least two and possibly three practice squad spots going to receivers from this group.
Washington is last year’s draft selection who barely played, but he offers quality size, toughness, and hands. With Hodge and Angew being special teamers first, the Falcons would presumably like someone to serve as a WR4 who can kick outside when they want to use Drake London in the slot and offer that trio of traits and some blocking prowess. Washington will need to show he can handle that, but his summer connection with Michael Penix last year might give him a small leg up.
Blair is a fine player who has exceeded expectations with Atlanta, but has played only a modest amount to this point. He’s a strong bet for a practice squad spot because he can block a little, has displayed some real ability, and is familiar with the offense.
Polk is a CFL import coming off a terrific season, albeit a player who lacks high-end speed. He’s a tough, willing blocker and winner of contested catch situations who runs routes well, and in a less crowded room I’d view him as a very strong bet to win a spot outright.
Nash is a fan favorite and draftnik darling for good reason. Boasting solid size, refined route running for a converted quarterback who hasn’t been at receiver all that long, and a proven ability to win in the red zone, Nash is an intriguing player who was not hyper-productive in college by accident. I don’t know if he’ll be able to win a roster spot in 2025, but a quality summer should have him snag a practice squad spot at minimum.
Drummond hung around most of last year, but we barely saw him. A well-rounded player who truly impressed in the summer of 2023 for Detroit, Drummond is still waiting for a chance to make a regular season impact, but has a daunting path to a spot this summer that will require another terrific August.
Sills is a big target who is one of the oldest options in the room at 29, but he was briefly relevant for the Giants back in 2021 and 2022 when he caught a combined 13 passes for 123 yards. His size and experience give him a shot, but like Drummond, he’s probably one of the longshots heading into the summer.
Ditto Matthews, who like Drummond and Blair was around much of the 2024 season on the practice squad, but never got into games. He has some experience returning punts and was known for his ability to make spectacular leaping grabs in college, with the former giving him a slight edge on a roster spot and the latter likely to make him fun to watch this summer.
Finally, there’s Skinner, another undrafted free agent coming off a strong final season. Skinner is not a burner—you’re sensing a theme here—but has size and strong hands to work with. In a group where those two traits seem to be common, Skinner just needs to show well this summer to give himself a shot, though he’s more likely to hit the practice squad than the roster.