Brandon Dorlus went from barely getting on the field as a rookie to becoming one of the Falcons’ most intriguing defensive pieces in 2025, and the way Atlanta uses him next could say a lot about where this defense is headed.
The jump was real. Once Jeff Ulbrich took over as defensive coordinator, Dorlus finally got a chance to show why the Falcons were so interested in him in the first place.
Fully healthy in 2025, he settled into a meaningful role and delivered a breakout second season, finishing with 8.5 sacks. That total ranked second on the team behind James Pearce Jr.
That kind of production is hard to ignore, especially when it comes from a player who looked buried in the depth chart a year earlier. Dorlus became a useful piece in Atlanta’s pass rush, and his impact helped underline just how much better Ulbrich’s defense was than the one Jimmy Lake ran.
ESPN’s Ben Solak highlighted that progress while also pointing to why the Falcons believe there’s still more coming. “The lightbulb is coming on for Dorlus, and I'm loving it,” Solak wrote.
“He had 8.5 sacks last season, seven of which came in the back half. .. Dorlus is still more tweener than he is versatile, but 2025 was a clear realization of the vision we never got to see in 2024.
Continuity in coordinator Jeff Ulbrich's defense will be big for his continued growth.”
That late-season surge matters. Seven of Dorlus’ sacks came after the midpoint of the year, which suggests he was still settling into the role as the season unfolded. A full offseason in that spot should only help.
There’s also the background that makes his usage a little unusual. Dorlus was an edge-rusher in college before bulking up to play inside after Atlanta drafted him in 2024. So while he’s shown he can get home, he’s still working through the balance between being a tweener and being a true interior force.
Even so, the Falcons got real value out of him in 2025. With James Pearce Jr. and Jalon Walker helping create pressure, Dorlus was able to do damage as a looper and crasher in blitz looks. Atlanta’s pass rush finished with a franchise-record 57 sacks, and Dorlus was part of that surge.
Now the role gets bigger. With Ruke Orhorhoro and David Onyemata gone, Dorlus is expected to take on more of an every-down defensive tackle workload in 2026. That means the Falcons will need more from the entire defensive line, not just flashes from one player.
The good news for Atlanta is that he won’t be learning a new system this time around. Another year with Ulbrich and defensive line coach Nate Ollie should give Dorlus a steadier runway than he had last summer, and that continuity could be the difference between a good season and another step forward.
If the growth continues, Dorlus could become more than just a useful pass-rush piece. He might end up being one of the players who helps push the Falcons’ defense to another level in 2026.
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