FLOWERY BRANCH — The Falcons entered the offseason with a clear intent — to make their pass rush a force to be reckoned with.
The goal excites their coaches, but none more so than Jacquies Smith. The outside linebackers coach is excited about all the additions to the defensive line.
“It’s fun to get these new players who have good skill sets,” Smith said on Wednesday. “I think it’s like a kid that’s going to the toy store. The candy store is pretty much open, and we got to get all the pieces of candy that we (wanted).”
The Falcons used two first-round picks in the 2025 NFL draft on edge rushers, taking Georgia’s Jalon Walker with the No. 15 pick and traded into the first round to draft Tennessee edge rusher James Pearce Jr. at No. 26.
The moves put the pieces in place for the Falcons to make their defensive line one of the strongest in the league, but it is up to Smith to put it all together.
“You’ve got all these ingredients, and you’re just trying to throw it in a pot of gumbo and mix it all up and hopefully get it to tasting good,” Smith said.
Walker and Pearce Jr. already are emaking an impression on their coaches. The two participated in the Falcons’ rookie minicamp at the beginning of May, where they showcased their competitive grit. In their early work, the former SEC athletes have challenged the Falcons’ veterans, both on the field and in the classroom.
“Building that competition within the room has been awesome,” Smith said. “Whether it’s answering questions right — like who got the question right or wrong — who has the fastest get-off or things like that in practice right now, trying to create little competitive things. These guys all in a room, they’re all competitive, so that’s going to do nothing but make our team rise.”
The rookies’ competitive drive stood out to Falcons personnel during the predraft process, which included watching tape from a lesser opponent, a competitive opponent and a rival opponent.
The goal was to see if the players rose to the occasion against higher competition — and Walker and Pearce Jr. passed with flying colors.
“I’ll always look at three things,” assistant head coach Jerry Gray said. “I’ll look at a game early in the year. I look at a game late in the year, and then I look at their rival game. To me, the NFL every week is a rival game. If I can get a guy playing at his best against their rival game, you’re pretty much going to do that when you get ready to go (to the NFL).”
The Falcons will begin organized team activities May 27 before reporting for mandatory minicamp June 9.
About the Author
Keep Reading
The Latest
Featured
