How the Falcons can help Michael Penix Jr. grow under Kevin Stefanski

Whenever an NFL head coach is fired, it's a clear indication that under his leadership, his team didn't maximize its potential. Nearly a third of the league made head coaching changes this offseason, and of those, few underachieved more than the Atlanta Falcons did under Raheem Morris.

The NFC South was an abject disaster last year. The Bucs started hot and then completely fell off. The Saints were dreadful, as predicted. The Panthers went 8-9, and that was a pleasant surprise for Carolina fans. Everybody finished under .500, and when the dust settled, a three-way tie between the Panthers, Bucs and Falcons gave the division crown to Dave Canales and Bryce Young.

The Falcons were the most talented team in the division, but under starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr., they managed just a 3-7 record. Once they dusted Kirk Cousins off after Penix went down with a partially torn left ACL during a home loss to the Panthers, they went 5-2, but it was too little, too late for their playoff hopes, and for Morris' tenure as head coach.

Penix's injury history is extremely concerning. He's already torn his right ACL twice, and he's also suffered a pair of season-ending injuries to his non-throwing shoulder. Many around the league were shocked that the Falcons used the eighth overall pick in the 2024 draft on him, especially given the money they had just spent on Cousins, and that skepticism has been proven right as he's struggled to stay on the field, and even to be effective when he does.

This could be Penix's last stand as the Falcons' starting quarterback. The team hired Kevin Stefanski as their new head coach, a highly respected offensive mind who had next to nothing to work with in his previous gig with the Browns. Now he'll have Bijan Robinson, Drake London and Kyle Pitts to gameplan for.

If Penix, who will supposedly be recovered and ready to go by training camp, can't perform with this coach and these skill position guys around him, then there won't be much hope for him going forward. Tua Tagovailoa was brought in on a one-year deal, and though his reputation isn't so great after he flamed out in Miami, he'll still be ready to take the job if Penix can't get it done.

Though many of the offensive pieces are already in place for Penix to succeed, the loss of Tyler Allgeier, Darnell Mooney and Ray-Ray McCloud in free agency (they Falcons did sign Jahan Dotson to play opposite London) means that there are some holes to fill on this offense. Unfortunately, Atlanta doesn't have a first-round pick after they traded up to select edge rusher James Pearce Jr. last year. Pearce recorded 10.5 sacks in his rookie season, but his recent legal troubles are making that move look like a disaster.

The Falcons have picks in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 6th and 7th rounds. Their first selection isn't until No. 48 overall, but they'll still have plenty of opportunities to find guys who can make an instant impact. Let's look at some receiver and running back prospects who should be on their radar.

Wide receivers the Falcons should target

Zachariah Branch, Georgia

Drafting a hometown kid is always a crowd-pleaser, but Branch's skill set is also exactly what the Falcons need. He's able to handle a big workload out of the slot, and he has the quickness and shiftiness to make guys miss and generate yards after the catch. He caught 81 balls for the Bulldogs last year for 881 yards and six touchdowns, and he's also an outstanding kick returner.

Branch was a weapon in the screen game last year, and with the big body of London outside, he can give Penix a high-percentage option to get some easy yards in the quick game. He's only 5-foot-9, but he has the speed to take a top off a defense, as he ran a 4.35 40-yard dash at the combine. Bleacher Report's Dame Parson likened him to Zay Flowers. Outside of Robinson, this offense could use some speed and quickness, so that sounds like a great fit.

Omar Cooper Jr., Indiana

There are two routes the Falcons can take in finding their starting slot receiver. They can go for speed and quickness if they take someone like Branch, or they could look for some more size and physicality. If they choose the latter path, Omar Cooper Jr. of Indiana would make a fantastic pick. Cooper is 6-feet tall and has over 20 pounds on Branch, and he helped the Hoosers win the first national title in program history by catching 61 balls for 937 yards and 14 total touchdowns.

Cooper is a willing and able blocker in the run game, and he consistently gave Fernando Mendoza a reliable option over the middle. He's not afraid to battle for contested catches, and he has a nose for the first-down marker and the end zone. Drafting him would give the Falcons some much-needed toughness, not to mention someone Penix can trust whenever he's in need of some yards.

Running backs the Falcons should target

Kaytron Allen, Penn State

Bijan Robinson is a top fantasy pick every year and is widely acknowledged as one of the most talented runners in the game. His wow factor made people overlook Tyler Allgeier, but Falcons fans know how important Allgeier was as a physical change-of-pace. Now that he's gone, Matt Ryan and Ian Cunningham will need to find a suitable replacement.

Perhaps the best option comes from Penn State. The Nittany Lions have two running backs entering the draft in Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton, but whereas Singleton excels more in the passing game but broke his foot during Senior Bowl practice, Allen is the kind of bruising back who could keep the Falcons running game from missing a beat.

Allen averaged 5.4 yards per carry in his four years at Penn State, setting the school rushing record with 4,180 career yards on the ground. For a school that has produced Saquon Barkley, John Cappelletti, Ki-Jana Carter and Larry Johnson, that's saying something. He consistently requires multiple tacklers to bring him down, and his 39 rushing touchdowns prove his value as a short-yardage back.

Kaelon Black, Indiana

Just as we did with our wide receiver options, we again turn to Indiana to find a missing piece for this Falcons offense. Kaelon Black has similar size to Kaytron Allen, and he runs with a similar physicality. He was almost nonexistent as a pass-catcher at Indiana, but he looked more than capable as a route-runner at the Senior Bowl. He's also one of the best running backs in the draft in pass protection. Given Penix's injury history, that has to vault him up the Falcons' board.

Black ran for over 1,000 yards last year, and he looked good against top competition. He busted a 37-yard run against Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship, then followed that with 99 yards and a touchdown on the ground against Alabama in Indiana's first game of the College Football Playoff. He added 56 yards and two more scores in the Hoosiers' semifinal beatdown of Oregon, then kept the chains moving with 17 carries for 79 yards against Miami for the national title.

Black stays low to the ground, making him difficult to bring down. He's not a plodder, though, as he has good quickness to get through the hole and reach the second level of the defense. Once there, he can make guys miss, as evidenced by his 10 games this past year with at least a 20-yard run.

The Falcons enter the 2026-27 season with a division that's there for the taking. In order to get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2018, they need to surround Michael Penix Jr. with more playmakers, and the aforementioned four guys all fit the bill.

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