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An Overview of the Atlanta Falcons Defense

The Falcons have become synonymous with poor defense over the last decade-plus. The 2024 unit was no exception. This edition managed to finish in the middle of the pack in yards surrendered both on the ground and through the air. Unfortunately, that was the highlight. They landed in the bottom half of the league in takeaways, 23rd in points allowed, and only the Panthers gave up more passing scores. It is the futility and frustration of Atlanta’s pass rush that brings things into perspective.

How bad has it been, you ask? Atlanta has been in the top half of the league in sacks one time in the last sixteen years. They have put up more than 35 sacks three times over that span, failed to reach 30 nine times, finished 28th or worse nine times, and finished 31st or 32nd  six times, including four of the last six years.

This is not for lack of effort or investment. The organization has used multiple first and second-round picks on the position and has spent big money on top free agents several times as well. None of them has been able to overcome the curse. Ownership has undergone several coaching changes, but none have been effective. To their credit, there is no quit here; thus, the cycle continues.

Atlanta managed 43 sacks in 2023 and appeared to be on the right track at last. It was not to be as they plummeted back to 31, landing behind only the Patriots last year. Not to be deterred, the organization fired yet another coordinator, bringing in Jeff Ulbrich, who is the third to hold the position in three years. They then made a huge capital investment, using both of their first-round picks on edge players. Just to be safe, they signed Leonard Floyd, who was one of the best available in free agency, as well. The team is banking on these players to bring about significant improvement because no other impact players were added.

Atlanta Falcons Defensive Linemen

The Falcons went all in with their commitment to solving the pass rush puzzle. They could have some growing pains with two rookies being heavily involved. On the other hand, if they finally hit with the selections of Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr., the problem will be resolved for the next several years.

Walker’s situation is much like that of Micah Parsons when he came to the league. Walker is a hybrid who saw significant action as both an off-ball linebacker and edge defender while at Georgia. At 6-foot-1 and 243 pounds, Walker is a compact, athletic player with good range and a knack for working through traffic as a linebacker. As a run defender, he attacks the line of scrimmage, stacking and shedding blockers without giving much ground. As solid as he is when working from the second level, Walker is even better on the edge. With a quick first step, an elite burst, and a low center of gravity to dip under taller blockers, he is a nightmare for offensive tackles.

Unlike the Cowboys, who initially tried Parsons as an off-ball linebacker that would rush the passer once in a while, the Falcons will have Walker concentrate on the edge position first. That said, his versatility will give the play caller options.

With so many variables coming into play, it is difficult to project what kind of numbers to expect from Walker as a rookie. For re-draft purposes, targeting him as depth with upside would be a safe approach until we get more to go on. For dynasty managers looking to the future, Walker’s potential is high.

After taking Walker at fifteen, Atlanta returned to the SEC for Pearce at twenty-six. In contrast to Walker, who is more compact and powerful, Pearce is long and lanky at 6-foot-5 and 245 pounds. He is explosive off the ball and wins with speed, but lacks the bend to get under blockers around the corner. One of his big assets is height and wingspan. 

Pearce had better box score production in college, totaling 19.5 sacks to Walker’s 12.5, but we shouldn’t put much weight on that. Pearce needs some work in the weight room to become more stubborn as a run defender. He is sure to see plenty of opportunity in passing situations, but may not be on the field enough on early downs to make an impact in the tackle columns.  

Pearce may or may not ever develop into a three-down player. For this season, the team doesn’t need him to. The Falcons signed Leonard Floyd to a one-year contract. He was similar to Pearce early in his career. A long and lean rush specialist with a big wingspan, who could be pushed around in the running game. Floyd never did add much girth, but he learned to adapt and overcome. While it is not a strength of his game even now, he is not a liability on early downs.

Floyd never developed into a star on the field or in the box scores. What he has become is a solid contributor in both situations. On the field, he is a capable three-down starter who can be counted on to pressure the quarterback frequently. Floyd has 67.5 sacks over his nine seasons, with at least eight and a half in each of the last five. Borderline tackle production keeps his fantasy value in check for the most part, though he did manage three consecutive seasons with at least 55 combined stops while with the Rams from 2020 to 2022. Stops in Buffalo and San Francisco led to 19 sacks over the last two seasons, but sparse tackle numbers limited him to bye week depth in those seasons. At age 33, there is not much upside.

Atlanta used a second-round pick on Arnold Ebiketie in 2022 with the hope that he could develop into a long-term starter. It didn’t work out as they had hoped, but he has developed into a steady veteran player who can give the team quality snaps while the youngsters get their feet under them.

There are no superstars among the Falcons' interior linemen. What they do have is a good mix of dependable veterans and rising youth. The projected starters are David Onyemata, entering his tenth season, Morgan Fox, going into his ninth, and last year’s second-round pick Ruke Orhorhoro. Fifth-year man Ta’Quon Graham and last year’s fourth-rounder Brandon Dorlus are likely to pick up the rest of the playing time.

Over the last ten years, Grady Jarrett has been the anchor of Atlanta’s run defense. In most of those seasons, he was a steady and productive option for fantasy managers, with at least 51 combined tackles in seven of the last eight campaigns, and an average of slightly over four sacks. Jarrett is off to the Windy City, leaving fantasy managers wondering who, if anyone, can fill those shoes.

Onyemata is the most likely candidate to provide IDP value. He missed three games in 2023 and still had 47 tackles and 4 sacks in his first year with the team. Onyemata played a full slate of games last year, but his production slid to 43 tackles and 3 sacks. He could step it up a bit with Jarrett gone, but Onyemata’s ceiling is rather limited.

The guy I am keeping an eye on is Orhorhoro. This is mostly because he will likely work over the nose, where Jarrett played for most of his time with the team. The other factor is that the young man had twelve sacks and nine batted passes in his three seasons as a starter for Clemson. He’s not someone we need to roster going into the season, but if he produces early, he could be a worthy addition.

• Edge Leonard Floyd – Bye week or spot play depth
• Edge Jalon Walker – High upside rookie
• Edge James Pearce Jr. – Dynasty prospect
• Edge Arnold Ebiketie – Marginal impact at best
• Edge Zach Harrison – No impact expected
• DT Morgan Fox – Marginal impact expected
• DT David Onyemata – Possible DT2
• DT Ruke Orhorhoro – Deep sleeper 
• DT Ta'Quon Graham – No impact
• DT Brandon Dorlus – No impact