Samson Ebukam’s resurgence has become one of the quiet catalysts behind Atlanta’s surprising pass rush, and the Falcons have given him the stage to make it happen.
Through five weeks, Atlanta leads the NFL in pressures and pressure rate, a remarkable spot for a defense operating without Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. Jeff Ulbrich and defensive line coach Nate Ollie have squeezed plenty out of this group, and while Cameron Thomas has drawn plenty of attention, Ebukam has been the one steadily changing the feel of the rotation.
A hamstring injury suffered in Week 2 forced him out of the Week 3 matchup with the Packers, but since then he has looked like a player with something to prove. He has logged a sack and 5+ pressures in each of his last three games, including a five-pressure outing in the loss to the Ravens.
According to PFF, his 19 pressures are tied with George Karlaftis and Bradley Chubb for 12th-most in the NFL, and his 12 pressures over the last two weeks rank seventh. The missed tackles have been a blemish, but the bigger picture is clear: he has helped keep this pass rush upright.
That kind of production makes more sense when you trace the road that brought him here.
Ebukam was born in Nigeria and moved to the United States when he was nine. As a high school senior, he played defensive end, tight end and fullback, and his only D1 offers were from Portland State and Eastern Washington.
He chose Eastern Washington, then turned that opportunity into a major college run, starting for three years and piling up 188 tackles, 44 TFLs and 24 sacks. In 2016 alone, he posted 15 TFLs and nine sacks, added three fumble recoveries, two forced fumbles and eight QB hits, and earned FCS All-American and First-Team All Big Sky honors.
Even that wasn’t enough to get him an invite to the NFL Combine.
The NFL still came calling. The Rams took him in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft, and he began as a backup behind Connor Barwin and Robert Quinn before earning more starts late in his rookie year. His role expanded from there, and in his final two seasons in Los Angeles in 2019 and 2020, he appeared in every game, made 19 starts and combined for 9.0 sacks, eight TFLs and 79 combined tackles.
That production helped him land in San Francisco for two seasons, then with the Colts, where he first overlapped with Ollie. In 2023, his lone season there, he started all 17 games and delivered a career-high 9.5 sacks and 11 TFLs.
Then came the setback. Ebukam tore his Achilles in training camp, missed all of 2024 and still seemed to be feeling the effects in 2025.
The 31-year-old signed with Atlanta because of his connection to Ollie, and that reunion has started to look like a revival. The Falcons originally brought him in for rotational help after losing Arnold Ebiketie and Leonard Floyd, but Pearce’s arrest and subsequent suspension pushed him into a bigger role, and Walker’s injury moved him into the starting lineup.
Atlanta didn’t sign Ebukam expecting this much. But he has turned the opportunity into a genuine comeback, and the Falcons have needed every bit of it.
In Other News...
Falcons Pass Rush Suddenly Feels Thin As Bralen Trice Reenters Picture
The Falcons made a notable shuffle on defense ahead of their Week 6 matchup with the Bears, signing edge rusher Bralen Trice to the active roster and bringing safety Jammie Robinson back to the practice squad. Atlanta also elevated Robinson and defensive end Drake Jackson for the game, another sign the staff is trying to keep enough bodies available as it pieces together the weeks defensive plan.
Trice has already appeared in three games this season and has shown some pass-rush potential, which makes his move to the 53-man roster worth watching beyond just the transaction wire. With Robinson and Jackson supplying extra depth, the Falcons are clearly leaning on every available option to shore up a defense that needs more pressure off the edge and more flexibility across the front. [Read more 🡒]
Former Falcons Punter Dies At 35 After Long Cancer Battle
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Redfern died on Oct. 13 after a three-year battle with brain cancer and central nervous system lymphoma, leaving behind his wife, Lauryl, and their two sons. For Atlanta, his name is a reminder of how quickly a player can pass through the building and still leave a lasting mark when the news years later is about far more than football. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons May Have Waited Too Long On Cameron Thomas
Cameron Thomas was supposed to be one of the low-risk additions the Falcons made in March, a one-year flier to help fortify the edge. Instead, he has become one of the most productive pieces of their pass rush at a time when injuries and suspensions have left the front looking thinner than planned, turning a modest signing into an increasingly important part of the defense.
Through five games, Thomas has already forced his way into the conversation as a player the Falcons may need to secure before his value climbs any higher. Atlanta still has cap space to work with, and the longer this kind of production continues, the more sense it makes to think beyond the short-term deal and into what it might cost to keep him from testing the market with momentum on his side. [Read more 🡒]