The Atlanta Falcons had a long to do list heading into the offseason, but one of their biggest priorities was improving their pass rush. The Falcons took the first step by signing edge rusher Leonard Floyd to a one-year, $10 million contract in free agency but doubled down on the need in the draft, selecting Georgia’s Jalon Walker and Tennessee’s James Pearce Jr. in the first round of last month’s draft.
With Arnold Ebiketie and Bralen Trice already on the roster, it’s a new look for a pass rush that ranked 25th with a 20% pressure rate and 31st with 31 sacks. But it also could leave too many cooks in the Falcons’ kitchen and put someone on thin ice before even playing a snap.
Falcons DC Jeff Ulbrich May Have Put Leonard Floyd on Thin Ice With Comments About Rookies
New Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich discussed his new-look pass rush when talking with reporters during the second stage of OTAs this week. While Ulbrich noted that there is plenty of talent in the room, he also noted that the key will be to keep things simple and let Walker and Pearce do what they do best.
“We’re going to be versatile and we’re going to be multiple, but that’s where they’re going to start first and second down,” Ulbrich said via ESPN’s Marc Raimondi. “I want, especially Jalon, to really have an opportunity to just master playing on the edge. I think there’s something there that’s really special. Give him an opportunity to have one home initially and become as good as he can at that.
“And then from a third-down perspective, we can get creative with him and that’ll be part of his superpower. As far as James is concerned, he’s going to be the edge – edge only – and we’ll go from there.”
If the Falcons’ aggressiveness to get Walker and Pearce weren’t enough, Ulbrich’s comments bring bad news for anyone on the Falcons’ roster. Walker’s versatility helped him record 12.5 sacks including 6.5 in his final season with the Bulldogs, but Ulbrich would like to have him build his pass-rushing tools before moving him around the formation.
Pearce also had elite production with the Volunteers including an SEC-high 10 sacks during the 2023 season and noted that the strip sack is his favorite play, which probably convinced a defense that forced just six fumbles last season to add him to the fold.
This doesn’t mention the investments Atlanta had already made to the pass-rushing group. Ebiketie was a second-round pick by the Falcons in the 2022 draft and recorded five of his six sacks in the final six games last season. Trice was also a third-round pick in the 2024 draft after collecting 18 sacks in his three seasons at Washington.
With young high-upside veterans everywhere, it puts pressure on a veteran to perform and Floyd has become the ill-fated adult in the room. A former first-round pick by the Chicago Bears, Floyd got off to a slow start with 18.5 sacks in his first four seasons. But he’s found his consistency notching at least 8.5 sacks and 48 total sacks over the past five years with the Los Angeles Rams, Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers.
While those numbers look great, it hasn’t been indicative of his overall play which produced a career-low 53.5 overall grade according to Pro Football Focus. With his calling card fading, it could open the door for Pearce, Walker or another high-upside pass-rusher to seize his spot, leaving Floyd to a quick hook in Atlanta.