The Atlanta Falcons Have to Get this Right

Since parting ways with John Abraham after the 2012 NFL Season, the Atlanta Falcons have ranked in the bottom 10 in the NFL in sacks in 9 of the last 11 seasons (2013-2023). Accordingly, the Falcons have failed to qualify for the playoffs in 9 of the last 11 years. It’s not like they have not tried to address their pass rush woes. They have drafted players such as Vic Beasley 8th overall in 2015 and traded up for Takkarist McKinley in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft. The Falcons passed on future Hall of Fame T.J. Watt to draft McKinley. They also drafted Marlon Davidson in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Davidson would be off the team after the 2022 Season. They have signed Ray Edwards, Paul Soliai, and Daunta Fowler in Free Agency. None of those efforts have been deemed successful, outside of Beasley’s 2016 campaign, where he led the NFL in sacks with 15.5.

Grady Jarrett has been the anchor of Atlanta’s front seven for nearly a decade. Atlanta’s defense did not allow a team to score over 24 points with Jarrett on the field. After Jarrett’s season ended in Week 8 with a torn ACL, his presence was missed as Atlanta’s defense gave up 24 points six times during the remainder of the season. They let Will Levis throw for 238 yards and 4 touchdown passes in his NFL debut. A week later, they lost to the Vikings because Bud Dupree could not bring down Josh Dobbs with the game on the line. The very next week, they let Kyler Murray scramble for a first down late in the fourth quarter, leading to another loss. With the NFC South Division lead in balance, they failed to stop Baker Mayfield and the Bucs offense at home in Week 14 on Tampa’s final drive.

Photo Credit: Atlanta Falcons

In 2021, the Falcons passed on LB Micah Parsons to draft TE Kyle Pitts.  Pitts has just six touchdowns in three years.  In 2022, Atlanta selected DE Arnold Ebiketie out of Penn State.  Ebiketie developed nicely down the stretch for Atlanta, as his snap count increased.  After having zero sacks through the first five games of the 2023 campaign, Ebiketie finished to 6 sacks in through the last 12 games of the year, establishing himself as a solid, young piece to Atlanta’s defense.  In the 2023 NFL Draft, the Falcons passed on DT Jalen Carter to draft Bijan Robinson.  Robinson, however, has proven to be a stud when utilized properly. Possessing the 8th overall pick for the third year in a row, Atlanta will more than likely have a chance to draft one of the three top edge rushers to help transform the outlook of their defense.

Photo Credit: Alabama Crimson Tide

Turner is projected by many to be the first defensive player off the board in this year’s draft.  He is explosive off the edge and effective not only while rushing the Quarterback, but also stopping the run.  However, there is slight concern about Turner’s lack of pass rush moves, which ended up being Beasley’s primary flaw during his time in Atlanta.  Nonetheless, Turner’s ceiling is significantly higher than Beasley’s.

Photo Credit: University of California, Los Angeles Bruins

One can argue that Latu could be the favorite over Turner to be the first defensive player off the board.  Latu, like Turner, is able to read plays effectively both against the pass and the run and possesses more pass rush moves than Turner.  However, there is concern about Latu’s injury history regarding his neck, which forced him to briefly medically retire from football in 2020.  Latu is also not believed to be as explosive off the line of scrimmage as Turner.  Latu, nonetheless, is a highly regarded prospect with the potential to have a successful NFL career.

Photo Credit: Florida State Seminoles

Verse is considered by many to be the “safe pick” amongst the top three projected first round edge rushers.  Verse is able to use his strength to shed blockers and get to the Quarterback with many pass rush moves.  He was expected to declare for the 2023 NFL Draft before surprisingly electing to return to Florida State for one more year.  Verse once again has a first round grade.  However, Verse’s height and lack of length is a concern, as it can occasionally be a detriment against the run.

Conclusively, with the high-end talent available amongst edge rushers in this year’s draft, it is imperative that Head Coach Raheem Morris and fourth-year General Manager Terry Fontenot draft one of the following with the 8th overall pick in hopes of fixing this team’s decade-long pass rush woes, and in return, helping the team win football games and reach the playoffs for the first time in 2017.