The Atlanta Falcons have had a rough couple of weeks, from losing both of their starting edge rushers to Friday's embarrassing 27-7 loss against Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos.
The team decided to do something about it on Tuesday morning, signing veteran Za'Darius Smith to a reported one-year, $6 million deal. Smith came out of retirement to help the Falcons replace suspended edge rusher James Pearce Jr., who will miss the first eight games of the season.
The 33-year-old's best season was his 13.5 sack campaign in 2019, and while he only appeared in five games last season, Smith recorded nine sacks in 2024. There's no guarantee that the Falcons will start Smith, but his $6 million salary suggests he will serve as the primary replacement for Pearce.
So with that in mind, check out our Week 1 starting lineup projection for the Falcons defense ahead of the 2026 NFL season.
- DE/EDGE: Za'Darius Smith
- DL: Brandon Dorlus
- DT:Maason Smith
- DL: Zach Harrison
- DE/EDGE: Samson Ebukam
- ILB: Divine Deablo
- ILB: Christian Harris
- CB: A.J. Terrell
- CB: Mike Hughes
- NB: Avieon Terrell
- S: Xavier Watts
- S: Jessie Bates III
Obviously, nothing is set in stone just yet, and we wouldn't be surprised if rookie Kendal Daniels plays his way into Christian Harris' starting linebacker spot. In the meantime, don't expect to see any of the players listed above active in Saturday's game against the Colts. Head coach Kevin Stefanski said he won't play the team's starters this week.
Look for Smith and the rest of Atlanta's projected starters to take the field in the Falcons' third preseason game against the Miami Dolphins.
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Projecting the Falcons' starting defense with EDGE Za'Darius Smith