Rohit Makkuni from Pittsburgh, PA
Throughout the last several weeks, I’ve seen Dee Alford continuously rise up (Pun intended), with no sign of slowing down. There is no doubt in my mind that he A: is my favorite defensive player right now, and B: has well earned a spot on the actual roster. I guess you could say he’s my “camp crush.” My question is, how high can he go since he has no limit to his success? (evident of him having his name in Falcons articles daily).
Bair: For one, I appreciate the homage. “Camp crush” is a term I use selectively, and Dee Alford is one player where the title fits. He’s constantly around the ball, has made several big plays in practice and games and often receives first-team reps. That, in my mind, is a sign he’s going to make the 53-man roster and contribute.
In terms of the “how high can he go” portion of the question, I want to pump the brakes a bit there. It’s still uncertain how much he’ll play and how he’ll do against top level receivers. He hasn’t seen many of them to this point, so it remains a question mark. Maybe he’ll be great. Maybe he’ll have an adjustment period. I’m not ready to put him in the Pro Bowl just yet, but Alford has been fun to watch all summer.
Jeremy Baker from Calhoun, GA
Hey Scott. I really hope you get to this question. I think along with myself, a lot to falcons fans are wondering, do we have anyone to get after the qb? I’m just wondering if we need to bring in some help here, maybe JPP? I do not want to see us dead last in sacks again. Any hope on your side??
Bair: It’s fair, Jeremy, to wonder about the Falcons pass rusher. There isn’t an established game wrecker in this group. Everyone’s 26 or younger, and Lorenzo Carter’s five sacks in 2021 lead a group with two rookies expected to make real contributions.
As with so many other groups, the pass rushers will have to earn their respect. It won’t be given and they have to go show they can set a proper edge in run defense and pressure the passer. They need to win rushing four and create pressure on the outside and next to Grady Jarrett.
Right now, the edge rusher group is a complete unknown and a real wild card for how this defense (and this season) will fare.
There’s talent here – I think Ade Ogundeji’s ready to take that next step – but they’ll have to go prove they can be impactful as a young group. I wouldn’t expect going from dead last in sacks to the top 10. This evolution will take time. Assuming, of course, the Falcons have added the…
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