4 things we learned during Falcons’ first week of OTAs

FLOWERY BRANCH — The Falcons finished their second OTA session under coach Kevin Stefanski on Tuesday, battling patented summer heat in their first open-to-media viewing period of full-team practice.

From the quarterback competition to depth chart notes and injury news, here are four notes from the Falcons’ practice field in Flowery Branch.

Tagovailoa sharper than Penix; snap split isn’t drastic

Six months removed from tearing his left ACL, Michael Penix Jr. was close to a full participant Tuesday. Stefanski said the Falcons will keep him from 11-on-11 periods but will “very intentionally” monitor snap counts among Penix, Tua Tagovailoa and the rest of their quarterbacks.

There was close to an even split Tuesday, with more 7-on-7 periods and fewer 11-on-11 sessions. Both quarterbacks threw interceptions — Penix to cornerback A.J. Terrell on his first throw of team periods, and Tagovailoa to safety Jessie Bates III later in the session — but they had their moments, too.

Tagovailoa was the first quarterback in most drills, and Drake London, the team’s top receiver, often aligned on Tagovailoa’s side to catch passes during warmups. Tagovailoa’s accuracy proved more consistent than Penix, but again, both passers threaded tight windows and connected on a solid clip of attempts.

All told, Tagovailoa was a bit more consistent with completions and general ball placement, but neither quarterback tilted the spectrum too much.

Depth chart notes

The Falcons’ depth chart is in its infancy, but Tuesday offered a glimpse of what may ultimately come.

LaCale London, Zach Harrison and Jalon Walker made up part of the consistent first-team defensive line. With Divine Deablo not participating in offense vs. defense sessions, the Falcons used Christian Harris and Channing Tindall at linebacker. Mike Hughes and A.J. Terrell held down the cornerback spots, while Darnay Holmes saw action at nickel. DeMarcco Hellams earned the spot at safety next to Jessie Bates III with Xavier Watts on the sideline.

Offensively, the Falcons leaned heavily on running back Brian Robinson Jr. as the complement to Bijan Robinson. Charlie Woerner and Austin Hooper complemented Kyle Pitts at tight end, with Hooper making a few impressive plays Tuesday. Wide receiver Jahan Dotson had a strong day, too.

The Falcons were missing Jawaan Taylor and Storm Norton, which prompted Michael Jerrell into the first-team right tackle spot. Kyle Hinton saw snaps at left guard, too, when Matthew Bergeron took a breather.

Branch off to fast start

Falcons third-round rookie receiver Zachariah Branch had a strong day fresh off his trip to Los Angeles for the NFLPA rookie premiere, which spanned May 14-16 and featured 42 draft picks.

Branch hit perhaps the most explosive play in the Falcons’ offense vs. defense period, catching an intermediate pass toward the right hash, cutting upfield and gaining several yards after the catch.

The 5-foot-10, 180-pound Branch is known for his speed, playmaking and suddenness, and he put all three on display Tuesday. OTA practices — with no pads, no live contact and players wearing shorts — are naturally geared toward smaller, shiftier weapons like Branch, but he’s made a strong first impression.

“He’s been balling,” Penix said. “Making a lot of plays each and every day.”

Injury updates

Penix aside, the Falcons have several other players recovering from injuries suffered last year.

Outside linebacker Bralen Trice tore his ACL in August of 2024 and missed the entirety of that year, then reinjured his knee in August of 2025. A third-round pick in 2024, Trice still hasn’t played a snap as a professional.

Troy Andersen, a fifth-year inside linebacker, hasn’t played since Dec. 8, 2024, because of a knee injury and lingering subsequent issues. Billy Bowman Jr. tore his Achilles in November and missed the remainder of the season.

Stefanski offered a collective update on all three.

“Everybody’s doing really well,” Stefanski said. “They’re all in different stages of what they can do. You’ll see some guys when we go to individual, go off to the side and do some individual work. But everybody’s on a good timeline. Very pleased with how they’re working.”

Andersen worked on a side field throughout Tuesday’s session, while Trice received snaps during the team period. Bowman wore sweatpants and watched from the sideline, though Stefanski said he’s trending in the right direction.

“You’ll see him out there going through walk-throughs right now, working off to the side,” Stefanski said. “But he’s doing really well.”

Second-round rookie Avieon Terrell went through individual drills but worked on the side field during team periods. He wore a leg sleeve but moved well, and after the team’s rookie minicamp May 9, he said he felt “great.”