Could Falcons be one of several teams interested in Akiem Hicks?

The Falcons defense looked like a top 10 unit a few weeks ago then Grady Jarrett went down with a season-ending knee injury, and Ryan Nielsen’s unit has floundered in recent weeks.

In the last two games, the Falcons defense has surrendered late leads to the Vikings led by Josh Dobbs, who had less than a week of familiarity with Minnesota, and the Cardinals led by Kyler Murray, who made his 2023 debut.

Without Jarrett, Nielsen’s pass rush has fallen off a cliff, and that was only exacerbated when David Onyemata was ruled out of the contest on Sunday. The Falcons did acquire Kentavious Street at the trade deadline, which has turned into a positive acquisition, but the defensive front could still use bolstering.

One potential free agent target could be Akiem Hicks, who has had discussions with multiple teams as interest remains high, according to Jeremy Fowler.