Fans expect Jalon Walker and James Pearce to start their respective careers with an immediate bang.
It took until November for the Falcons to produce double-digit sacks as a team last year. Opposing quarterbacks couldn’t have been more at ease in the pocket when going through their progressions.
They knew getting hit was unlikely, let alone being sacked. While Raheem Morris made adjustments to create pressure schematically, there is only so much that can be accomplished by creating designs for limited talent. The inability to generate pressure with a pure four-man rush left the defense struggling to produce stops, among several other issues.
Drafting Jalon Walker and James Pearce demonstrates the organization’s commitment to assembling a long-term personnel group capable of disrupting not only quarterbacks but also undermining opposing overall game plans. That has created plenty of buzz about the potential of two highly-regarded prospects leading the charge in establishing a new and improved defense in Atlanta. The fan base appears to be on board, although the voting is fairly close.
To believe 15 sacks will be produced between them means one of them will have double-digit sacks or near that mark. Envisioning a pass rusher with double-digit sacks is normally a difficult task in Atlanta, given how abysmal they’ve been at getting after the quarterback for nearly the past decade. With two tremendous talents and a solid veteran presence in Leonard Floyd, the edge-rushing room hasn’t looked this exciting in years. Walker’s versatility and Pearce’s first step could provide the Falcons with much-needed juice to make game-changing plays and get off the field when necessary.
Do you share similar optimism in what the rookie pass rushers can do right away? Let us know below.
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