The Steelers’ Week 1 opener against the Falcons just got a little friendlier on the edge.
Atlanta spent heavily to rebuild its pass rush in the 2025 NFL Draft, using first-round picks on Georgia’s Jalon Walker at No. 15 overall and Tennessee’s James Pearce Jr. at No. 26 overall. But when Pittsburgh arrives on Sept. 13, neither of those additions will be available.
Walker, who posted 5.5 sacks in 2025, is out for the season after tearing his ACL in camp and landing on season-ending injured reserve in early August. Pearce, who had 10.5 sacks in 2025, will miss the first eight games of 2026 because of a suspension tied to domestic violence-related charges in February.
That leaves Atlanta leaning on a thinner group than it hoped to have when the season opens. The Falcons brought in veteran Za’Darius Smith out of retirement in mid-August to add some help, and he’ll be 34 when the year starts. Smith had 1.5 sacks in two starts with the Eagles last year, but he also produced nine sacks in 2024.
Even so, Smith is currently listed as a backup on Atlanta’s depth chart, though ESPN projects him as a starter in 2026. The Falcons’ listed starters at defensive end are Cameron Thomas, who had 2.5 sacks last year, and Brandon Dorlus, who finished with 8.5 sacks in 2025.
Dorlus is more of an interior rusher, but Atlanta is expected to use him more at defensive end because of the need on the outside. Samson Ebukam, who had two sacks last year, is another veteran who could see a role, along with potential practice squad elevations Zach Harrison, who had 4.5 sacks last year, and Bralen Trice.
So while the Falcons aren’t empty at the position, this is still a better setup for Pittsburgh than it looked at draft time. That matters because the Steelers’ offensive tackles have their own issues. Troy Fautanu is set for his first NFL regular season start since moving to left tackle, and the right side is expected to be handled by Dylan Cook or rookie Max Iheanachor.
The tougher challenge for Pittsburgh may come inside. Atlanta’s interior line includes Dorlus, D’Shawn Hand, and newly acquired Gervon Dexter Sr., who logged six sacks from the interior for the Bears in 2025.
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Kevin Jobity Jr., Ryan McCollum, Eli Heidenreich and Gabriel Rubio are among the names drawing the most scrutiny early on, with each facing a different kind of uncertainty as the season unfolds. Some of that comes down to positional flexibility, some to depth-chart traffic, and some to whether the Steelers decide they need a different fit later in the year, which makes these spots worth watching even before the opener kicks off. [Read more 🡒]