Over the previous two seasons, the Falcons’ defense finished with only 39 total sacks. That’s the worst sack total in the NFL over that span. In 2022 alone, Atlanta finished with 21 total sacks as a team, with edge rushers accounting for 9.5 of those.
There wasn’t much consistency or major production from the position group, so acquiring more pass rush talent will be a focal point for Atlanta this offseason. On a positive note, the Falcons are projected to have the second-most cap space in 2023 and a top-10 draft pick, which will provide great opportunity to bring in much-needed talent.
Edge rushers Lorenzo Carter and Ade Ogundeji were the primary starters with a combined total of 607 pass rush snaps, per PFF. Rookies Arnold Ebiketie and DeAngelo Malone both played a combined total of 399 pass rush snaps and showed growth as the season progressed. Yet, there needs to be more efficiency from this unit as a whole.
“We know that’s an area of improvement. It’s not just because we took two young edge guys that magically, you had Lawrence Taylor [in] year 1,” Arthur Smith said in a postseason press conference. “So, there are a lot of things as we build, strategically, and other pieces that you add along with it, and the development of these young guys. That’s how, to me, we need to take another step, but there’s a lot of moving parts to it.”
Although edge rushers play a significant role in the pass rush, there are other positions on defense where more depth is needed in order for the pass rush to be effective.
“Yes, edge rushers, it’s always a premium position,” general manager Terry Fontenot said in a postseason press conference. We have some players that we’re excited about that need to take the next step, and we believe they will, but we’re always going to prioritize that position. Yet, when you improve, if you have a stout defensive tackle that stops the run on first- and second-down, then you get more pass-rush opportunities. When you have the secondary, tight coverage, you’re forcing the quarterback to hold the ball longer. When you’re playing with leads, offensively you’re playing with leads, then the guys can pin their ears back. It’s a complementary game. You’re not just going to add one player to a certain position and then all of a sudden, the sack numbers go up. It’s about improving the total team.”
Let’s take a look inside the outside linebackers room and how they performed this season:
Lorenzo Carter: 17 games | 54 tackles | four sacks | one…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at News…