After finally finding good pass rush, Falcons search for answers again

FLOWERY BRANCH — It took nearly 25 years for the Falcons to finally build an effective pass rush. It took just one offseason for the foundation to crack again.

Four productive pass rushers from last season now play for other teams. Edge rusher James Pearce Jr. is facing a minimum six-game ban from the NFL for his arrest on domestic violence charges. The Falcons decided to use their limited salary-cap space and draft picks for priorities other than the pass rush, which set a franchise record with 56 sacks in 2025.

I don’t see who will replace the production of the departed players or Pearce, for however long he sits out.

“Everybody,” Falcons defensive line coach Nate Ollie said. “It’s all hands on deck with everybody that we have.”

Ollie said he expects incumbents Brandon Dorlus and Jalon Walker to take “the next step.” Newcomers Maason Smith and Samson Ebukam also will be counted on for pass-rush production.

But, based on player track records and market values, the Falcons will have to do more with less pass-rushing talent in 2026.

The team’s most productive blitzing linebacker in 2025, Kaden Elliss, signed with the Saints as a free agent. David Onyemata, the team’s highest-rated interior pass rusher last season by Pro Football Focus, signed with the Jets.

Pearce set a rookie franchise record with 10½ sacks in 2025. But it’s unclear when he’ll be back with the team after he agreed to a one-year pretrial diversion program that allows him to avoid trial on felony battery charges.

Ellis, Onyemata and Pearce combined for 15 sacks and 96 quarterback pressures in 2025, per PFF. Pearce was the only Falcons player to rank among the NFL top 20 in ESPN’s pass-rush win rate metric for edge players. Onyemata was the only Falcons player to rank among the top 20 in win rate for interior players.

The team’s pass-rushing depth took a hit, too.

Arnold Ebiketie (two sacks, 25 pressures in 2025) left to sign with the Eagles. The Falcons traded Ruke Orhorhoro (four sacks, 30 pressures) to the Jaguars for Smith (zero sacks, 11 pressures). That move could be among several that shore up the run defense, but the pass rush might suffer.

The market prices are a measure of what the Falcons lost.

Ellis ($23 million guaranteed), Onyemata ($9.7 million) and Ebiketie ($4.3 million) all signed for more money than any of the defensive free agents signed by the Falcons. The Falcons are hoping they found bargains with Cameron Thomas ($2.5 million guaranteed) LaCale London ($750,000) and Ebukam ($700,000).

Ollie said getting more out of interior lineman Smith is part of the plan. He played 36% of the defensive snaps for the Jaguars last season.

“Maason is going to be an every-down guy for us,” Ollie said. “Big-bodied guy. Big guy that can move — when I say move, he can really move — for his size. Like him to play (all along the line). I think Maason can get in there on third down and rush for us, as well.”

Ollie naturally is going to accentuate the positives with his group. But his high praise for Dorlus at this time last year proved prescient. After not playing much as a rookie, Dorlus went on to compile 8½ sacks and 26 quarterback pressures.

Dorlus was the third-most productive pass rusher among defensive linemen, behind Orhorhoro and Pearce (10½ sacks, 45 pressures). Other holdovers who played big roles in last year’s rejuvenated pass rush are linebacker Walker (5½ sacks, 29 pressures) and tackle Zach Harrison (4½ sacks, 16 pressures in just seven games).

“It doesn’t mean anything now,” Harrison said. “We did what we did last year. It’s over. We’ve got to start blank slate Game 1 — start now, actually — and try to build up and do more than we did last year.”

The front four will need to generate an effective pass rush for coordinator Jeff Ulbrich’s vision for his defense to come to life.

According to Pro Football Reference, the Falcons sent an extra pass rusher more often than any team except the Vikings last season. Ulbrich had never used blitzers so much during his previous coaching stops. He predicted he’d do it less in 2026, as the front four gained experience.

That was before Pearce got arrested, Onyemata and Ebiketie left in free agency, and Orhorhoro was traded away.

“We’ll see how this group progresses and comes together, and we’ll see what we’re capable of doing,” Ulbrich said recently. “When your rush is humming with four, we’d all like to lean on that and play coverage. And obviously, especially toward the end of the year, James got going, and you really started to get a feel for it.