Atlanta Falcons: Top 5 Defensive Players for 2015
By John Buhler
player. 44. . DT. Utah. Paul Soliai. 5
For Dan Quinn’s defense to best work, he’s going to need some big boys on the interior wreaking havoc on opposing guards and center. Atlanta’s defensive tackles will need to command the attention of multiple offensive linemen so that Quinn’s pass rush can come off the edge and disrupt the quarterback.
To me, the most important part on the interior is NT Paul Soliai. Though it was the right idea to bring Soliai to Atlanta in free agency two winter’s ago, he wasn’t an ideal scheme fit in Mike Nolan’s base 4-3 defense.
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Soliai has done his best playing nose tackle at the 1-Technique, just off the center’s shoulder. Though he will again play in a 4-3 when he is best suited to play in a 3-4, Quinn’s defensive scheme plays more like a 3-4 because of its under shift.
Paul can once again thrive at the 1-Technique commanding attention up front and being a factor in run stoppage. The shift from the 3 to the 1 will only bolster the play of his fellow defensive linemen. Our other DT’s have the ability to play 3 and even 5-Technique where Paul Soliai is too big, thus ineffective the further outside he goes.
I don’t see other Falcons DT’s getting in his way in this defensive scheme and that bodes well for both Soliai and his teammates. Look for Paul Soliai to have an improved season with the Atlanta Falcons playing the 1-Technique in Dan Quinn’s Base 4-3 Under defense.
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