The Falcons’ pass rush is heading into the season with a very different look than the one that piled up 57 sacks last year and finished second only to the Denver Broncos. That total set a franchise record, but repeating anything close to it now looks like a long shot.
Atlanta has already taken hits across the front seven. Jalon Walker is out for the season with an injury, Kaden Elliss and Arnold Ebiketie left in free agency, and James Pearce Jr. will miss the first eight games of 2026 because of a lengthy suspension. That leaves the Falcons leaning harder than planned on the veterans they brought in to help stabilize the group.
One of those additions, Samson Ebukam, has quickly become the most important name in the room. The front office brought him in as part of its effort to patch up the edge, and he has stood out early in training camp. In practice, Jeff Ulbrich has already seen the kind of disruption he wants from that front line, with Ebukam getting to the quarterback in scrimmage work.
Ebukam brings real production with him. He has 35 career sacks and posted a 9.5-sack season in 2023.
The problem is what came after that: an Achilles tear the following year, then a two-sack 2025 season. Atlanta is not asking him to suddenly become a double-digit sack machine.
It needs him to steady the unit and help keep the pressure distributed across the defense.
That matters because the Falcons weren’t built around one dominant finisher even before the latest news. Outside of Pearce, nobody put up eye-popping sack totals last season.
Brandon Dorlus was next with 8.5, while Walker finished with 5.5. The numbers behind them dropped off sharply.
Ulbrich’s defense is designed to spread the production around, and it did exactly that in 2025. Atlanta had 16 players record at least one sack, and eight of them finished with at least 3.5. Leonard Floyd played a big role in setting that tone, and Ebukam now inherits that kind of job: be the steady veteran, do the dirty work, and help keep the pass rush from falling apart while the Falcons wait on the rest of the group to return.
In Other News...
Falcons Rookie Hype Is Facing An Early Camp Reality Check
The first two weeks of Falcons training camp have offered a useful reminder that early buzz is only part of the story. Rookie receiver Zachariah Branch has flashed enough to keep attention on him, but his reps have not matched the excitement, and Atlanta has leaned more on veteran Olamide Zaccheus as it works through the slot picture. For a team trying to sort out its passing-game mix, that kind of pecking order can say plenty before the preseason even starts.
Zaccheus has been making the most of his opportunity in practice, while Branch is still fighting for a clearer lane into the offense. The wrinkle for both is schematic as much as personnel-driven, since the Falcons are expected to lean on looks that do not feature many three-receiver sets. That leaves Branch facing an early camp reality that is less about hype and more about earning the snaps that will decide how quickly he fits into the rotation. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Preseason Debut Raised Two Early Concerns Fans Cant Ignore
The Falcons opened the preseason with a 27-7 loss to the Broncos, and the result came with a pair of familiar August concerns attached to it. Atlanta did get a first look at Tua Tagovailoa in game action, and the offense had a few moments of rhythm, with veteran receiver Chris Blair finishing as the teams leading receiver with 37 yards.
What stood out more, though, was how often Denver kept the Falcons from looking comfortable at the line of scrimmage. Atlantas pass rush had a hard time making life difficult for Jarrett Stidham, leaving the defense searching for answers after a night that offered more questions than encouraging signs. [Read more 🡒]
3 Falcons Enter Camp With Their Roster Spot On The Line
Training camp and the preseason tend to sharpen every little roster decision, and for the Falcons, that scrutiny has already landed on three players whose paths to the final roster are anything but secure. Jack Strand is in the mix at quarterback, while JD Bertrand and Bralen Trice are trying to show enough in live action to convince the coaching staff they belong when the roster starts coming into focus.
Preseason games are where those questions get answered, or at least clarified, and Atlanta will be watching all three closely as it sorts out who can help now and who might be the odd man out. Bertrand needs cleaner defensive play to keep himself from falling behind, Trice has to continue proving his value, and Strand is fighting for space at a position where every snap matters. [Read more 🡒]