Carter Bahns· Aug 4, 2026
With Jalon Walker feared to have torn his ACL, the piece expects Samson Ebukam and Cameron Thomas to move up the Falcons' edge rusher depth chart and fill the vacant starting role.
“Samson Ebukam and Cameron Thomas are next in line and will be tasked with stepping into a larger role than expected.”
published in writing · CBS Sports · read the original →
The page this came from has changed since we captured it on Aug 4, 2026. The quote and evidence above are from our capture, not from what the page says today.
2 checkable claims — 2 depth chart calls — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet.
It names 3 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in.
Of the 1 unsettled call enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands below the rest of the room.
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Who this take is about
2 checkable claims in this take
Each one is scored on its own against the published methodology. A pundit naming several outcomes is graded on each, not on all-or-nothing.
Cameron Thomas to be 1st on the depth chart
“his looming absence leaves a sizable hole in the starting lineup. Samson Ebukam and Cameron Thomas are next in line and will be tasked with stepping into a larger role than expected.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Samson Ebukam to be 1st on the depth chart
“his looming absence leaves a sizable hole in the starting lineup. Samson Ebukam and Cameron Thomas are next in line and will be tasked with stepping into a larger role than expected.”
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
What others said about the same people
- Fox SportsDepth Chart Calls · Michael Penix Jr.Hit · 100Fox Sports states that a healthy Tua Tagovailoa will serve as Atlanta's backup quarterback in Week 3, with Michael Penix Jr. handling the starting duties against Green Bay.
- Scott KennedyRoster Spot Calls · Tua TagovailoaHit · 100Kennedy reports that Atlanta is expected to keep three quarterbacks on its 53-man roster: Tua Tagovailoa, Michael Penix Jr., and undrafted rookie Jack Strand.
- Tyler SullivanRoster Spot Calls · Jack StrandMiss · 0In a rookie quarterback report card following the 2026 preseason, CBS Sports projects Fernando Mendoza opening the year as Kirk Cousins' backup in Las Vegas, Luke Altmyer settling as the Lions' third quarterback behind Joshua Dobbs, and Jack Strand most likely landing on Atlanta's practice squad rather than the 53-man roster.
- Scott KennedyRoster Spot Calls · Charlie WoernerHit · 100Kennedy projects the Falcons' roster locks: Kyle Pitts Sr., Austin Hooper and Charlie Woerner are locks at tight end, while Drake London, Jahan Dotson, Olamide Zaccheaus and Zachariah Branch are all but locks at receiver. He suggests Cash Jones would claim a sixth receiver spot if Atlanta keeps six, and that Muse, Simon and Velling are bubble players.
- Jim MoormanRoster Spot Calls · Zachariah BranchMiss · 0Moorman names five undervalued wide receivers to target relative to their current ADP: Jaylen Waddle, Josh Downs, Wan'Dale Robinson, Jayden Higgins and Zachariah Branch, projecting bigger roles and better finishes than their draft prices suggest.
- Pete PriscoScore Predictions · Atlanta FalconsMiss · 0Prisco picks four road/home winners with exact scores: Falcons over Panthers, Bears over Vikings, Jaguars upsetting Broncos, Chargers over Raiders, and Cowboys over Commanders.
More depth chart calls
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
- Pat FitzmauriceDepth Chart Calls · Aaron JonesHit · 100In previewing the 10 most intriguing fantasy performers of Week 2, Fitzmaurice expects Atlanta's quarterback problems to persist with Tua Tagovailoa unlikely to play and Michael Penix Jr. not ready to return, flags Falcons slot corner Billy Bowman Jr. as a possible Week 2 returnee, and describes Aaron Jones as Minnesota's lead back and Kaelon Black as the clear backup to Christian McCaffrey in San Francisco.
- Matt SeveranceDepth Chart Calls · Deshaun WatsonHit · 100The CBS Sports preview backs Tampa Bay to beat Cleveland in the Bucs' Week 2 home opener, and states that Deshaun Watson — not Shedeur Sanders — will be Cleveland's starting quarterback in Week 2.
- Rafael ZamoranoDepth Chart Calls · Deshaun WatsonHit · 100Zamorano reports Watson will start Week 2 at Tampa Bay and suggests there's little reason to expect improvement, raising the possibility Watson's five-year contract never yields more than single-digit wins.
- Bradley LockerDepth Chart Calls · Carson WentzHit · 100PFF's unsigned adjusted power rankings after Week 1 of the 2026 season place the Bills first, the Rams second and the Dolphins last, with notes on quarterback situations in Seattle, Minnesota and Cleveland.
- Pat FitzmauriceDepth Chart Calls · Rashod BatemanMiss · 0In his Week 2 waiver wire column, Fitzmaurice recommends a slate of pickups he expects to outperform their current rostership (Kaelon Black, Deebo Samuel, Tyler Shough, Geno Smith and others), lays out several depth-chart expectations (Black as the 49ers' No. 2 back, Shedeur Sanders eventually taking over in Cleveland, Penix returning for Atlanta), and flags Fool's Gold/drop candidates such as Mike Gesicki, Kendrick Bourne and Rashid Shaheed.
- Bill HuberDepth Chart Calls · Chris McClellanMiss · 0Huber's first Packers rookie progress report projects second-round cornerback Brandon Cisse to hold onto his spot with the No. 1 defense, third-round defensive tackle Chris McClellan to start in Week 1, and fifth-round lineman Jager Burton to be the team's top interior backup rather than a starter.