Bralen Trice and James Smith-Williams hope to add to a group that needs the help.
The Atlanta Falcons had some semblance of a pass rush in 2023, with an increased number of sacks even if the pressure numbers and pressure rate were not exactly impressive. With a major change on the way in the form of a new coaching staff and new defensive coordinator in particular, the Falcons allowed Calais Campbell and Bud Dupree to walk, which means 13 of the team’s 42 sacks are headed elsewhere.
That left uncertainty at EDGE/outside linebacker for the Falcons, and high-profile names linked to the team did not land here, either through free agency or the draft. Ultimately, the team made a couple of modest signings, sank a second day draft pick into an intriguing player, and are signaling a bit of a shift for an existing player to try to replace the production they’ve lost.
There’s inherent risk in that, especially given that this team hasn’t ginned up a killer pass rush in years, but the Falcons have assembled a group that should be good against the run and are banking on the upside of young players to help them get after the quarterback. Let’s walk through how the position has changed.
Changes: A rookie, veterans, and an intriguing shift
Last year, the Falcons ignored the draft and went the veteran route, adding Bud Dupree to the mix. Dupree wasn’t expected to be great so much as he was expected to be solid, and to his eternal credit, he was a good player for Atlanta and Ryan Nielsen last year. His ability to hold his own against the run and a robust 6.5 sacks with solid pressure rates meant Dupree was a genuine asset for the Falcons, and the fact that he’s now gone left a void the team had to fill.
The hope was that Atlanta might land one of the draft’s top pass rushers to do so, or sink significant funds into acquiring, say, a Daniele Hunter. The Falcons whiffed on those attempts—they somewhat infamously tried to trade back into the first round to get Laiatu Latu and were reportedly in on Hunter to an extent—and that left them to sign lower-tier free agents and draft Bralen Trice in the third round. The addition of Trice, an absurdly productive college player with toughness and a well-rounded skillset, figures to be by far the most impactful move of the offseason at the position.
The question, of course, is whether a Bralen Trice and a James Smith-Williams equal a Bud Dupree, given that Dupree was tied for the team lead in sacks and gave the team very capable run defense throughout the 2023 season. I’m not willing to rule out the duo giving the Falcons strong run defense—Trice comes into the NFL with that toolkit and Smith-Williams is a solid defender in that regard—but the pass rushing piece is tougher to call given that Trice is a rookie and Smith-Williams hasn’t offered much to this point in his NFL career.
The Falcons have also signaled that they’re going to get Zach Harrison work at EDGE—he’s working there at OTAs—which would be a welcome development. Harrison came into the league as a man with considerable potential but not a lot of production in college to point to, but the team’s patience with him and Harrison’s own drive to improve let to an eye-opening stretch at the end of the season where he was an absolute menace. If Harrison is mixing in regularly, this EDGE group suddenly becomes a lot more intimidating, because he has the size and strength to be a problem on early downs as a pressure artist and run defender.
In addition to all of this, the Falcons still have Arnold Ebiketie and Lorenzo Carter, as well as roster hopefuls DeAngelo Malone and Demone Harris. Ebiketie went from two sacks in his rookie season to six last year and showed growth as a pass rusher, while Carter remains a reliable 2-4 sack player whose work in coverage and against the run makes him a valuable, reliable option.
This is a mostly young group that figures to be useful and productive, if nowhere near elite.
Key additions
- Bralen Trice. The key addition of the offseason, and a player the Falcons are going to count upon to be an immediate asset. Trice may not be listed as a starter on the depth chart, but he’ll play extensively from the jump, because the Falcons effectively swapped Dupree out for him. The pass rushing upside is a bit of an open question at the NFL level, but I feel pretty comfortable projecting him with a floor of 4-5 sacks in his first season.
Why? Again, Trice is going to play a lot because of both need and his pretty well-rounded skillset, with his willingness and ability to work against the run pairing with a relentlessness as a pass rusher that ought to serve him well. With plenty of opportunity and a level of comfort, we should see useful production out of him. I would set your expectations for Trice—and really any rookie pass rusher—at well below elite production.
- James Smith-Williams: I mean zero disrespect when I say Smith-Williams is kind of just a guy, because I’m a champion of those kinds of players. Durable, reasonably effective players are a must at any position where you rotate heavily, and Smith-Williams offers perfectly cromulent run defense and the occasional spark of pressure. The fact that he’s still young enough to do more than that and has been good for 380-plus consistent snaps the past three seasons means he’ll have a chance to play a significant number of snaps here, especially if he shows a bit more as a pass rusher and cleans up a fairly persistent issue with missed tackles. The Falcons don’t want to rely on him to play starting-level snaps on a consistent basis, but as the likely fourth guy in the rotation, Smith-Williams should be useful and solid.
- Bradlee Anae: Speculative here, but Anae is still a young player who can contribute on special teams, and the Falcons have actually dabbled with having him work with the starters in OTAs. If there’s one spot up for grabs here, Anae is probably duking it out with DeAngelo Malone, and that special teams value may help him get it.