The Atlanta Falcons narrowly lead the NFC South with two weeks of the NFL regular season remaining. While it is not draft season in Atlanta, the front office already knows positions of need for 2025 and beyond.

General manager Terry Fontenot currently holds four draft picks, one each in the first, second, fourth, and seventh rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft. Atlanta sent its third-round pick to New England for Matt Judon. Their fifth-round pick was forfeited due to violating tampering rules when arranging travel for Kirk Cousins, Darnell Mooney, and Charlie Woerner during free agency. 

Finally, the sixth-round pick was involved in the Van Jefferson pick swap. The Falcons have the Rams’ seventh-round pick, while their own currently is held by the Steelers.

Reminder, it’s December, and draft boards will evolve.

Round 1 –  Pick 19 Jihaad Campbell, LB, Alabama

Campbell is an IMG Academy graduate and former 5-star recruit before committing to Alabama. The 6 foot 3, 244-pounder has been pro-prepped since early high school and has durable coverage ability in space and sideline-to-sideline speed.

The injury history of Troy Andersen and the lack of athleticism from Nate Landman and JD Bertrand make this a top-two need on this Falcons team. If you want a starter in a limited linebacker class, he’s the best. 

Round 2 – Pick 51 Landon Jackson, DE, Arkansas

2023 first-team All-SEC and second team in 2024, Jackson had 6.5 sacks each of the last-two seasons. Throughout his top-100 high school recruitment and playing days at LSU and Arkansas, Jackson established inside/outside versatility on the line of scrimmage.

In the case of the Falcons, with his 96th-percentile height, 86th-percentile weight, and 80+ percentile vertical speed, Jackson projects well for a defensive end role in a 3-4 defensive scheme, similar to the role occupied by Calais Campbell in 2023.

Pick 51 would be Jackson’s draft floor for sure, but knowing Fontenot has made a second-round trade in every draft he’s led with the Falcons, he’ll go up and get Jackson if he wants him. 

Round 4 – Pick 120 Quincy Riley, CB, Louisville

Preferably a zone corner, the 6-foot, 195-pound Riley is the sizable thump in the slot. The Falcons need to upgrade depth behind starter Dee Alford, who is a restricted free agent after this season.

Riley‘s speed is what he writes home about though, and oddly he times even faster than he looks on tape. With a verified 10.48 100-meter time, he’s got ideal size and speed.

Round 7 – Pick 237 Cam Jackson, NT, Florida

A 3-4 scheme ideally features a mammoth nose tackle in the middle. Jackson has lost over 25 pounds and was still listed at 342 pounds for the Gators in 2024.

Jackson’s immovable mass and ferocious motor can help contribute in Atlanta’s early down stunts and gap control, creating a niche role at a value late Day 3. 

Four picks, four defensive players – Terry Fontenot has gone offensive skill in the first round in each of his first-four drafts as the Falcons general manager. However, this will be the first time the Falcons aren’t drafting in the top-10, and the idea of selecting the best prospect available should be able to fill needs on the defensive side of the ball in 2025.

ATLANTA – Christmas is a time many of us spend with our loved ones. But many people don’t have families or even a place to call home. The nonprofit group Frontline Response celebrated the holiday with a special dinner for its residents.

This is a special Christmas for resident, Quaquela Lewis.

“I’ve been out of work for two years,” she admitted.

Lewis lost her job and times grew tough.

“I was actually on the street,” Lewis said. “You’re out there, and you’re struggling to exist.”

She now stays at Frontline Response, and this holiday, Lewis has a roof over her head and a place to celebrate Christmas.

“It’s a blessing. It’s a time of rest. Having a place like this takes that pressure off,” Lewis said.

The nonprofit rescues people from sex trafficking and helps people experiencing homelessness get back on their feet.

“This is a wonderful place,” said a resident, who only wanted to be known as Alexander. “I’m just thankful this place has a wonderful program.”

CEO Terry Tucker, his son Jabari and several volunteers cooked dinner and set up for dozens of people who may not have had anywhere else to go or anyone else to share Christmas.

“It’s really good to be able to not just give food, but spend that time and really commune with people,” Tucker said. “There are a lot of people who get caught in circumstances that are not of their own making. A lot of them may not have any kind of dinner, let alone Christmas dinner.”

Tucker says the residents are more like family and that on Christmas, the greatest gift you can give is love.

“We want to make it special, not just another meal. What we try to do is create a place where people feel like there’s some sort of joy they’ve had over the season,” he said.

Learn more about Frontline Response here.

The Consulate General of Israel in Atlanta has created a new initiative in which participants can add names and photos of those still held captive in Gaza to create unique ornaments to raise awareness of and call for the release of the hostages. 

“As Christmas approached this year, a time when families come together, we wanted to use the opportunity to raise awareness to the fact that there are still 100 hostages, among them seven Americans, who should also be home with their families”, Anat Sultan-Dadon, Consul General of Israel to the Southeastern United States, told The Jerusalem Post.

The consulate has reached out to several prominent churches in Atlanta who have agreed to display the special ornaments on their Christmas trees. In addition, they produced an explanatory sheet through which individuals can also print the ornaments and hang them on their Christmas trees.

Details of the ornaments 

The ornaments include a photo of each of the 100 hostages still held captive by Hamas, which will be hung on the Christmas tree using a yellow ribbon associated with the struggle for their release.

“The First Baptist Church of Atlanta, a mega church, was the first to agree to the initiative,” Anat Sultan-Dadon told the Post.

“Israel is blessed with many supportive friends out there, and many of them don’t know how they can actively support Israel at this time. This tree is a way to encourage them to act and to use their voices for the hostages and for Israel.”