Atlanta Falcons Skill Positions get Surprise Ranking on ESPN List
Atlanta Falcons WR, TE, RB Group Get Significant Rankings from ESPN
ESPN's Bill Barnwell ranked the top wide receiver, tight end, and running back combos in the NFL, and the Atlanta Falcons got a relatively surprising ranking. Scott Kennedy|
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Atlanta FalconsLast week at Atlanta Falcons minicamp, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa summed up the arsenal he has to throw to quite succinctly, "We have some dudes."
The top end of the Falcons offensive skill position players came from three consecutive top-10 draft choices in the form of tight end Kyle Pitts Sr. (No. 4 overall, 2021), wide receiver Drake London (No. 8 overall, 2022), and running back Bijan Robinson (No. 8 overall, 2023).
Pitts and London signed multi-year contract extensions this month, and Robinson is next on the docket. It's an impressive trio of skill players, but how well is this group seen outside of Atlanta, considering none of them have seen action on the big stage in a playoff game?
ESPN's Bill Barnwell ranked the top skill groups for all 32 NFL teams, taking into account the wide receivers, tight ends, and running backs, and he likes what he saw last year and thinks they can be even better in 2026.
Barnwell ranked the Falcons No. 4 leaguewide, only behind the Cincinnati Bengals, LA Rams, and Detroit Lions, all three of which have played in a conference title game since Pitts was drafted.
NFC South opponents New Orleans Saints (No. 13), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (No. 22), and Carolina Panthers (No. 28) trailed significantly behind the Falcons.
Why the Jump?
Much of the leap from No. 9 last year to No. 4 this season can be placed on the broad shoulders of Robinson, who led the NFL in yards from scrimmage last year and added big plays to his repertoire.
"Anyone who watched the star back at Texas knew Robinson had those sorts of runs in him," Barnwell wrote. "We saw them finally arrive last season, with Robinson scoring from 81 and 93 yards out. His explosive play rate jumped to 12.6%, a figure that the versatile back should have no trouble matching if healthy in 2026."
Robinson's big plays increased in 2025, despite an overly conservative, predictable offensive attack that failed to push the ball down the field and finished 30th on third down conversions.
Adding speed to the wide receiver room in free agent Jahan Dotson and third-round pick Zachariah Branch should help open up more running lanes for Robinson. We said the same thing last year under former offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, but he turned the strong-armed Michael Penix Jr. into a dink and dunk passer operating without the benefit of play-action.
Barnwell has been, and is still a fan of London. He points to a stat that should offer London even more opportunities in 2026.
"The Falcons were the league's fourth-most run-heavy offense in neutral game scripts last season, so if new coach Kevin Stefanski airs the ball out more often in 2026, London could have a first-team All-Pro ceiling," Barnwell mused.
The Upside:
It's also no surprise that of the trio, Pitts has the most questions about performing consistently at a high level. He finished second in total yards last year and has the fourth-most receiving yards at tight end in both the last three seasons and the last five seasons. However, Pitts still leaves us wanting more with tantalizing displays of aerial dominance.
"Pitts benefited from London's absence late in the season, racking up 24 catches for 338 yards over a three-game span. The ability to produce like a lead WR for any stretch of time is rare among tight ends," Barnwell wrote, helping to explain the three-year, $54 million contract extension Pitts received this week.
Pitts' first coach was Arthur Smith, who made liberal use of the tight end, and Barnwell sees the same possibility from a Kevin Stefanski offense after two years of Zac Robinson.
"If Pitts' knee injuries are really in the past, a Stefanski offense that has typically generated plenty of looks for players such as David Njoku should be able to create runaway opportunities for Pitts," Barnwell concluded.
Atlanta's trio of highly drafted skill players delivered in 2025, but the Falcons still failed to post their first winning season since 2017. They'll need consistently better quarterback play from either Michael Penix Jr. or Tua Tagovailoa, better special teams, and better in-game management from Stefanski to take advantage of the No. 4 group of skill weapons in the NFL.
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SCOTT KENNEDYScott is an Atlanta-based sports media professional with stints as Director of Scouting of Scout.com, VP of Content Production at Sports Illustrated, and Managing Editor at CBS Interactive / 247 Sports, among others.
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Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
