Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski names new starting safety

Less than 24 hours after losing their sixth game of the season, the Atlanta Falcons executed a trade to send safety Jessie Bates III to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a second-round pick in 2027 and a fifth-rounder in 2028.

Bates, a Pro Bowl playmaker known for his elite ball skills, joins an AFC contender in Jacksonville while the Falcons get some draft capital for the future. The move suggests Atlanta is selling at this week's trade deadline, however, head coach Kevin Stefanski said that was not the case during his Monday press conference.

"Obviously, we're not where we want to be, we want to play better, but we're very much in the thick of this thing and we trust in the guys that we have," said Stefanski . "I understand the question, and I understand the question in light of the trade, but in no way, shape or form."

Nonetheless, the Falcons now have a Jesse Bates-sized hole at safety, but Stefanski said DeMarcco Hellams would step into the starting lineup going forward.

"Obviously, DeMarcco is the next man up that we feel really good about," Stefanski said of Bates' replacement.

Hellams and Bates have different playing styles. Bates is more of a free safety, due to his elite range and coverage ability. Meanwhile Hellams is more on the strong safety end. So we expect Xavier Watts to fill some of Bates' role going forward, however, most teams have abandoned the idea of traditional safety roles at this point.

The Falcons drafted Hellams in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL Draft out of Alabama. He appeared in 15 games as a rookie, recording 40 tackles (25 solo) and one QB hit. Hellams then missed all of his second season after breaking his ankle during the preseason.

The fourth-year safety is one of former Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot's rare Day 3 draft hits. We would also expect to see defensive back Sydney Brown get some extra reps with Bates out of the picture.

Check out the Falcons' updated 53-man roster and practice squad following Monday's trade below. Plus, follow each move with our trade deadline tracker .

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