The biggest discrepancies on offense appear to be at wide receiver and offensive line. Defensively, the notable differences are at edge rusher and both defensive back positions.
The Falcons kept seven wide receivers, two more than they did last season. Darnell Mooney, however, missed most of training camp due to a shoulder injury. Although he's on the initial roster, Atlanta could have boosted their ranks at the position just in case Mooney isn't ready for Week 1. Jamal Agnew is also categorized as a wide receiver, but he is primarily on the team as a return specialist.
The offensive line is thin. Those numbers make sense. The Falcons lost their starting right tackle, Kaleb McGary, to season-ending injured reserve because of a leg injury. They also placed backup swing tackle Storm Norton on injured reserve, with a designation to return. Those injuries left Atlanta down two bodies, making offensive line a position the team could add to in the future.
Atlanta tied for the most edge rushers on any roster and exceeded the league average, which tracks with their offseason mission: improve the pass rush. They got a mad boost in this category by drafting not one but two first rounders in Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. They're a pair of checkmarks right away.
Natrone Brooks is the reason the cornerback room's count is a bit high. He had such a good training camp the Falcons couldn't not include him. Same with Mike Ford Jr., who is a core member of special teams. Their presence on the roster might explain why the safety room went from the likely four of Jessie Bates III, Xavier Watts, DeMarcco Hellams and Jordan Fuller to just the first three there.
The conversations that were held in the lead-up to Tuesday will continue as the regular season begins. Some players will stay in Atlanta. Others will come and go. That's why it's so difficult — no, impossible — to believe this is the Falcons' roster for 2025. It's adamantly described as initial for a reason.