FLOWERY BRANCH — In addition to rookie pass rushers Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr., the Falcons’ reconstructed defense will be under scrutiny when they face the Lions at 7 p.m. Friday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
It will be the first time the defenders will tackle to the ground since training camp started.
“We’re trying to develop a culture, a style of play for sure, and part of that is the violence which we play,” new defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich said. “The aggression, the urgency and all that.”
The Falcons will open the season with six to eight new starters, depending on who wins some of the position battles, on defense. The exhibition games will help the coaching staff to make those decisions.
Here are five things to watch when the Falcons face the Lions, who have gone to the playoffs in each of the past two seasons and are considered NFC title contenders:
1. Defensive tackles: A lot of the attention has been paid to the pass rushers this offseason. But the interior of the defense — the defensive tackle position — also is key.
The Falcons lost defensive tackle Grady Jarrett in free agency to the Bears, and he must be replaced as the starter next to David Onyemata.
Second-year defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro is listed in Jarrett’s old spot on the team’s first official depth chart of the season. Brandon Dorlus, Morgan Fox, Kentavius Street and Simeon Barrow Jr. are listed behind Orhorhoro.
Zach Harrison, Ta’Quon Graham and LaCale London are listed behind Onyemata.
“Explosive, long, fast, strong,” Ulbrich said of Orhorhoro. “We are so fortunate we get to work against, in my opinion, the best (offensive) line in football on a daily basis, and to see when he really fires off the ball and he really puts his hands on people, people move.”
The Falcons are refining Orhorhoro’s skills.
“It’s exciting because the sky’s the limit for him,” Ulbrich said. “This guy’s got potential just out of this world because of all the physical gifts that he has, and he’s got such drive that he’s one of those guys that you know he’s going to get there.”
2. Nickel back competition: Rookie Billy Bowman Jr. was drafted in the fourth round of the NFL draft and is in a battle with Dee Alford, Mike Ford and Clark Phillips III to start at nickel back.
Alford is listed as No. 1 on the depth chart followed by Bowman and Ford.
“All of those guys are competing,” secondary coach Justin Hood told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “It’s been really encouraging to see. Between Dee, Bill Bowman, Mike Ford and Clark, all of those guys who are taking reps inside, it’s been really good to see them come in and compete.”
3. Cobee Bryant watch: Cornerback Cobee Bryant, who was signed as an undrafted free agent, is listed as the third left cornerback behind A.J. Terrell and Lamar Jackson.
Bryant, who played at Kansas, was slowed early in camp by an injury. He’s coming along fine now and had an interception in practice Monday.
“Cobee was able to take the ball away the other day,” Hood said. “Cobee is doing well. His progression has been a little bit slower in terms of finally getting him on the field. Once he hit the field, you see the things that you liked about his film when he was in college.”
4. The kicking competition: Kicker Younghoe Koo, after a slow start, has pulled ahead of Lenny Krieg in the field-goal kicking competition.
The position battle will be closely scrutinized because Koo missed nine field-goal attempts last season. The Falcons ignored his struggles in the exhibition games in 2024.
If he has any misses, that will be a red flag for the Falcons.
Koo had never missed three field-goal attempts in a game until last year in an exhibition game in Baltimore.
5. Quarterback corner: Easton Stick and Emory Jones are slated to get the quarterback snaps against the Lions, who are 0-1 after losing the Hall of Fame game to the Chargers 34-7 on July 31.
Stick, 29, signed April 21. He has played with the Chargers and backed up Justin Herbert.
Stick, who’s 6-foot-1 and 224 pounds, has appeared in only six games over six seasons in the NFL, including four starts in 2023.
“Ultimately, you just go out there and play,” he said. “It’s a really good group of receivers. I’m excited about that. Running backs, that’s a great room.”
Stick was asked what he learned from playing behind Herbert.
“A ton, you talk about the ultimate competitor,” he said. “When you look at that position, that’s such a huge piece of it, are you somebody that can rally everybody and then is going to do it from now and really when the season starts through the end of the year. The guy that you can depend on being out there. He’s a tough as they come. Super competitive.”
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