The Atlanta Falcons must cut their 75-man roster to 75 by 4 p.m. ET Tuesday and to 53 by 4 p.m. ET Saturday. Here’s a final 53-man roster projection:

QUARTERBACK (2): Matt Ryan, Matt Schaub

Schaub actually has had better success than Ryan this preseason, but don't read too much into that. Falcons coach Dan Quinn is confident Ryan will make better decisions, particularly in the red zone, come the regular season.

RUNNING BACK (3): Devonta Freeman, Tevin Coleman, Brandon Wilds

Terron Ward's ankle injury opened the door to another undrafted player in Wilds, although Wilds still needs to prove he can be a special-teams contributor.

FULLBACK (1): Patrick DiMarco

DiMarco stepped up his game last season and made it to the Pro Bowl. The Falcons need him to continue to play at a high level while also contributing on special teams.

WIDE RECEIVER (6): Julio Jones, Mohamed Sanu, Justin Hardy, Aldrick Robinson, Eric Weems, J.D. McKissic

The undrafted rookie McKissic, who stood out in the return game during the preseason, was helped when seventh-round pick Devin Fuller went down with a shoulder injury in the third preseason game. Fuller's status remains unclear as he seeks a second opinion.

TIGHT END (3): Jacob Tamme, Austin Hooper, D.J. Tialavea

The reason Tialevea is on here instead of Levine Toilolo is because Tialavea was the one on the field with the starters in the third preseason game as the primary blocking tight end. Tialavea put guys on the ground and showed some fight.

OFFENSIVE LINE (9): Jake Matthews, Andy Levitre, Alex Mack, Chris Chester, Ryan Schraeder, Wes Schweitzer, Tom Compton, Bryce Harris, Ben Garland

I still see Chester starting over the rookie Schweitzer at right guard. Garland played his way onto the roster with a great preseason and the versatility to play center and guard.

DEFENSIVE LINE (8): Tyson Jackson, Grady Jarrett, Jonathan Babineaux, Derrick Shelby, Adrian Clayborn, Ra'Shede Hageman, Brooks Reed, Dwight Freeney

Jarrett might have emerged as the best all-around player with the way he gets after both the run and the pass. Freeney is the seasoned veteran expected to help boost the pass rush.

LINEBACKER (7): Vic Beasley Jr., Paul Worrilow, Deion Jones, De'Vondre Campbell, Philip Wheeler, Sean Weatherspoon, LaRoy Reynolds

Beasley, the eighth overall pick in 2015, has to elevate his game after a disappointing preseason showing. Maybe the switch from end to strong-side linebacker has been too much.

CORNERBACK (6): Desmond Trufant, Robert Alford, Jalen Collins, C.J. Goodwin, Brian Poole, Akeem King

Secondary coach Marquand Manuel said converted receiver Goodwin is the most athletically gifted ball hawk in this unit. If such is the case, Goodwin should get a chance to play behind starters Trufant and Alford, particularly with Collins suspended the first four games.

SAFETY (5): Keanu Neal, Ricardo Allen, Kemal Ishmael, Robenson Therezie, Dashon Goldson

Neal will miss the season opener and likely a couple of games after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery, meaning Ishmael and Allen are the likely Week 1 starters, provided Ishmael's shoulder is healthy. Goldson, a two-time Pro Bowler, comes in as a backup.

SPECIALISTS (3): K Matt Bryant, P Matt Bosher, LS Josh Harris

Bryant is expected to be back from a preseason injury. If he suffers a setback or isn't kicking well coming off the injury, the Falcons would have to roll with Shayne Graham. Or maybe Graham simply impresses more over the next week.