**David Onyemata | Ruke Orhorhoro | Brandon Dorlus | Zach Harrison | Ta'Quon Graham | Morgan Fox | Kentavius Street**
The Falcons have played a lot of defensive linemen this preseason, but this group has been consistently at the top of the rotation. London has been a favorite player of mine — per usual — in camp and the preseason, but the presence of Fox and Street leave him on the outside looking in.
**Leonard Floyd | Arnold Ebiketie | James Pearce Jr. | Jalon Walker | Bralen Trice | DeAngelo Malone**
This group will have a lot of eyes on it once the season begins, but each player listed here has had a standout moment or two so far. The first four names are locks and should form the tip of Atlanta's pass-rush spear. I know fans haven't seen a ton from Trice so far, but he's looked good in his return from injury and is a quality depth piece. Malone has been getting work [at both inside linebacker and edge recently](https://www.atlantafalcons.com/news/raheem-morris-jeff-ulbrich-detail-new-plan-vision-deangelo-malone), and he's a special teams hero. That versatility is enough to earn him a final roster spot.
**Kaden Elliss | Divine Deablo | J.D. Bertrand | Josh Woods**
With Troy Andersen currently on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, it's possible he goes on the reserve/PUP list during roster cutdowns and does not count against the 53-man limit. Of course, under that scenario he'd miss the first four games of the season. It depends on where Andersen is in his recovery timeline, but that's the scenario I have playing out here. In that case, I think Woods has done enough on defense and special teams to land a key backup spot.
**A.J. Terrell | Mike Hughes | Natrone Brooks | Dee Alford | Billy Bowman Jr. | Mike Ford**
_Tough cut: Clark Phillips III_
It's possible there's another player added to this group, such as Phillips, who has been dealing with a rib injury. But [the emergence of Brooks](https://www.atlantafalcons.com/news/training-camp-joint-practice-atlanta-falcons-tennessee-titans) might have Phillips on the outside. I have Ford making the roster because of his special teams skills, and the team has been testing his position versatility as well by moving him into the slot. Brooks, Alford and Ford can play multiple spots so there are a lot of options at Atlanta's disposal.
**Jessie Bates III | Xavier Watts | Jordan Fuller | DeMarcco Hellams**
From the jump, these four were the primary operators at safety and they will all likely have roles on game day. Hellams was a standout player in the first preseason game. Fuller is a veteran who can handle many different assignments and has experience working with Morris. Watts has a calm demeanor on the back-end, which helped him snare 13 interceptions the past two seasons at Notre Dame. If he can do the same here in Atlanta, he will quickly endear himself with the fans. And we all know about Bates. I do like what Henry Black has done since arriving here, but cracking this list was always a tough task.
**Younghoe Koo | Bradley Pinion | Liam McCullough**
I believe Koo has done enough to win the Falcons' kicker job. The Falcons can use their international player slot on Lenny Krieg, but he would have to clear waivers first and then be the 17th member of Atlanta's practice squad. Krieg has been somewhat inconsistent, but there's no doubt he's got a strong leg. I do think the Falcons would be interested in seeing how he continues to develop. For now, though, I've got the original three special teamers sticking around for now.