The Atlanta Falcons enter their Week 5 buy on fairly stable ground. Their 2-2 record is an acceptable outcome based on their schedule to date. Atlanta has wins over Minnesota and (Jayden Daniels-less) Washington. Their Week 1 loss to the division-leading Bucs came by the skin of their teeth, on a missed game-tying field goal at the buzzer from Younghoe Koo. We can wipe that 30-0 loss to Carolina from our memory; that feels like an aberrational stinker, not an indicator of what Atlanta can accomplish.
It won't get much easier for the Falcons. Their first test out of the buy? The undefeated Buffalo Bills. Then the four-win San Francisco 49ers. Atlanta has the talent necessary to compete for a postseason spot, but there are still a few points of weakness to address.
Falcons' defense is promising, but the offense needs more firepower
To the credit of Terry Fontenot and the front office, the Falcons' defense — last season, their crippling weakness — has come on strong so far in 2025. Their first-round picks, Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr., are paying immediate dividends. Atlanta has allowed 21.5 points per game, in the NFL's bottom third. Their 976 yards allowed is second-best in the NFL, with only Myles Garrett and the Browns below them (890 yards). The Falcons are tied for 12th with 10 sacks, with the NFL's second-highest blitz percentage (37.1). Atlanta is bringing pressure on the regular.
A lot of the concerns are actually rooted in offense, which is ironic considering how many resources Atlanta has invested on that side of the football. Michael Penix Jr. mostly looks the part, but he's still inefficient. The Falcons' pass-catching corps outside of Drake London leaves much to be desired as well. Darnell Mooney, a productive WR2 next to Kirk Cousins a year ago, just does not have the same chemistry with Penix. Kyle Pitts is fine, but we know he's not trustworthy.
Here is how Atlanta can level up at the trade deadline.
Falcons need to call up the Raiders and trade for WR Jakobi Meyers
Jakobi Meyers requested a trade in the offseason, but the Las Vegas Raiders held tight. Now in the final year of his contract, Meyers is still producing at a high level — catching 21 of 33 targets for 258 yards, producing 12.3 yards per reception on an average target depth of 7.8 yards. But Las Vegas is 1-3, with their postseason dreams already in serious jeopardy. Geno Smith has more interceptions (seven) than touchdown passes (six) through four weeks, which is never an encouraging ratio.
The Raiders hired Pete Carroll with the intention to compete for a spot in the playoffs sooner than later, but Las Vegas does not have the offensive personnel necessary to fulfill the vision of minority owner and shadow GM Tom Brady. As such, trading Meyers before he picks up and leaves as a free agent is the sensible path forward.
Meyers fits well in Atlanta's current setup. Drake London and Darnell Mooney can handle more of the vertical, over-the-top routes. Meanwhile, Meyers is a slot wizard — a sharp route-runner who knows how to play angles, get free over the middle and reel off yards after the catch. Penix tends to look more toward the perimeter, but a stable set of hands in the slot would help Atlanta diversify its target distribution. Also: Meyers is more than happy to line up wide and break one loose down the sideline. He's a versatile weapon.
This shouldn't cost the Falcons an arm and a leg either. Since Meyers is an upcoming free agent, simply swapping out a sixth-round pick for a fourth-round pick should do the trick. Las Vegas improves its draft stores after the Kenny Pickett trade. Atlanta gives Penix a shiny new weapon — one the Falcons should be able to re-sign in the offseason due to the financial flexibility afforded by Penix's rookie-scale contract.
The Falcons are a bit light on draft capital themselves after the James Pearce trade on draft night. While it's still worth moving back a couple rounds to look up Meyers, Atlanta would be wise to explore other avenues to restocking their draft stores. The obvious solution? Trade Kirk Cousins to a needy contender, even if it requires absorbing some of his remaining salary. That money comes off the books clean next offseason and there are struggling, wannabe contenders like Cincinnati who would sacrifice a real pick(s) to bring in Cousins as a bridge quarterback.