Heading into the 2024 NFL season, the have had a lot of eyeballs on them. The team has had a plethora of new additions to the team, including a brand-new defensive coordinator. So, what are the expectations for this defense?Nielsen RavingsIn 2023, Ryan Nielsen was the teams defensive coordinator, helping the defense produce a solid season. The team ranked 11th in total defense, eighth in pa sing defense, and 20th in rushing defense. Once the season concluded, the team saw a head coaching shift when Arthur Smith was relieved of his duties. This ultimately led to Nielsen taking the defensive coordinator job with the . Atlanta eventually hired former defensive coordinator, and familiar face, Raheem Morris. Morris Nickeil Alexander-Walker Jersey , now in his second stint with the Falcons, filled out his staff after being hired in January. Former Washington Huskies defensive coordinator and Rams a sistant head coach, Jimmy Lake landed a spot on Morris staff, becoming the Falcons new defensive coordinator. The defense will see a scheme shift from a 4-3 to a base 3-4 defense, with Lake now wearing the headset.Path to a pa s-rushThroughout the entire offseason thus far, the fanbase has pleaded for the team to add a premier pa s rusher to really put a stamp on this side of the ball. Atlantas top two sack leaders, Calais Campbell and Bud Dupree, signed elsewhere this offseason, putting more pre sure on this current pa s-rush lineup.Rather than signing any notable defensive players in free agency, general manager Terry Fontenot opted to do so in the NFL Draft this past April. Atlanta landed guys like and for the defensive line and to add to the pa s-rush unit. Fontenot did not select a cornerback in the draft, leading to confusion amongst the fanbase.Doing more with le sWhile the team has no star-studded pa s-rusher, they have Raheem Morris as their head coach. Yes, Morris wont be on the field physically contributing, but he does have a history of helping coach up the underrated players on the defensive line. Looking back at Morris final season in Los Angeles, Morris not only helped two rookies have very impre sive seasons, but he took a defense that didnt have a ton of star players, and produced a serviceable season, finishing . 2023 third-round pick Kobie Turner notched nine sacks with 50 quarterback pre sures, while fellow third-round pick Byron Young tallied eight sacks with two forced fumbles. Morris could very easily do the same here and get the best out of this Atlanta group, helping guys like Arnold Ebiketie continue his development as a pa s-rusher.No Fly Zone?A secondary led by All-Pro safety Je sie Bates III hopes to remain stable, even after losing former starter Jeff Okudah to the during free agency this offseason. Jimmy Lakes savvine s in coaching defensive backs has been well-documented. During his time in Washington, Lakes unit limited opponents to only 19.4 points per game in the 2019 season. Lake also contributed to the development of a handful of current players in the NFL, such as Super Bowl Champion and All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie. While this secondary will face off against a fair amount of top wide receivers in 2024Justin Jefferson, CeeDee Lamb, Davante Adamsthey should still be able to hold their own, to some degree.What to expect in 2024With all of this being said, its worth mentioning that the defense looks eerily similar to the 2023 versionminus a few players signing elsewherebecause the team still has a lot of the players that they had last year, so Atlanta should feel a sense of continuity amongst their players. So, as of now, this is all based on speculation and best-case-scenario thinking. But, with Grady Jarrett returning to the defensive line, Je sie Bates continuing to be a tremendous player and mentor, along with a young pa s-rush group working to blo som, expect this defense to finish amongst the top 20, at least. Anything lower than that could result in a disappointing experiment for this coaching staff. E'Twaun Moore Jersey