Falcons bet on Za’Darius Smith’s veteran presence. He proved why on Day 1.
INDIANAPOLIS — He stood on the goal line, firing his hands toward outside linebackers coach John Timu and going through pass-rush drills two hours before the Falcons played the Colts in an exhibition affair Saturday afternoon.
Then, he put his hands on his knees, caught his breath and embraced his teammates and coaches — or maybe, he was introducing himself.
Za’Darius Smith, who signed with the Falcons on Tuesday morning, didn’t join the team in Indianapolis until Friday. He missed joint practices with the Colts on Wednesday and Thursday, instead staying in Atlanta as part of his ramp-up process, and he didn’t play in Saturday’s preseason game.
Still, he wasted little time immersing himself within the Falcons’ fabric.
And the veteran defensive end has already proved to be a good listener.
When the Falcons’ sideline emptied to celebrate running back Tyler Goodson scoring the team’s first touchdown Saturday, Smith sprinted onto the field with several of his new teammates and raced to the end zone. When he returned, he entered coach mode.
Smith held an iPad in hand at various points Saturday, reviewing tape from the previous defensive series and offering tips to the Falcons’ defensive linemen.
“He was like, ‘Listen, you could hit this guy with this jab, this move here,’ and then you go out there and you can see it’s working, too,” defensive lineman Chris Williams told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution after the game. “He’s not a guy who’s just worried about himself. He was out there watching and locked in and helping us, too.”
Such a presence is partially why the Falcons, searching for additional pass-rush help after losing Jalon Walker to a season-ending ACL tear and James Pearce Jr. to an eight-game suspension, inked Smith to a one-year, $6 million contract.
Smith turns 34 years old on Sept. 8. Drafted in 2015, he’s played in 145 games and made 98 starts across 11 professional seasons. He joins an outside linebacker room with an average age of 26 years old, ranging from the 22-year-old Pearce to 31-year-old Samson Ebukam. Smith is the oldest defender on the Falcons’ roster by two years and eight months.
With age comes experience, and none of the Falcons’ other outside linebackers can match Smith in that capacity.
“A veteran presence can be helpful in any room,” Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski said Thursday in Indianapolis. “And certainly when we have some younger guys in the edge room as well, I think a guy like ‘Z’ can provide a ton of value that way.”
Falcons defensive tackle Brandon Dorlus, who has kicked out to the perimeter at times this training camp, told the AJC on Wednesday he was already familiar with Smith before he joined the team. Still, Dorlus researched Smith and studied his new teammate’s background.
Dorlus’ biggest takeaway? Smith’s wealth of knowledge will be immensely beneficial.
“I’m excited to learn from him,” Dorlus said.
The Falcons hope Smith will be more than a proverbial coach on the field. He’s a three-time Pro Bowler — last in 2022 — with 70½ sacks on his resume, double the number of the Falcons’ next-closest defender in Ebukam at 35.
Exiting the second week of the preseason, the Falcons have 44 defenders listed on their active roster. Smith aside, the rest of the group has 134½ sacks.
Smith, in essence, is the most decorated, productive and seasoned piece on the Falcons’ defense. Yet after retiring midseason last year with theEagles, there are fair questions about his playing shape.
The Falcons worked out Smith on Monday and saw enough to pour $6 million into him. And Williams, who shared the Browns’ locker room with Smith in 2023, said his new teammate appears physically ready for the grind of another NFL season.
“He looks great,” Williams said. “He looks in shape. He looks how he always does: fast, physical. You know he’s going to bring that energy, too.”
Williams isn’t the only Falcon with past ties to Smith. Two of the team’s chief decision-makers have extensive relations with the Montgomery, Alabama, native.
Smith played 25 games under Stefanski from 2023-24 with the Browns, who ultimately dealt him to the Lions at the trade deadline. Long before then, Falcons general manager Ian Cunningham served as the Ravens’ area scout when the team drafted Smith in the fourth round in 2015.
Thus, the Falcons are taking a calculated swing on Smith, who carries a collective skill set Stefanski still vividly remembers.
“Za’Darius brings physicality,” Stefanski said. “Obviously, he’s somebody I’ve been with, so I have a comfort level with Za’Darius the person, Za’Darius the player. Certainly brings an element of a veteran pass rusher, but a guy who can play on all downs.
“Big personality, huge personality. You’re going to hear him before you see him. Heavy hands, good against the run, was an excellent teammate for us.”
The Falcons are leaning on Smith’s core tenants — energy, physicality and leadership — to help steady the ship on a pass rush that appeared to be sinking. He’s yet to play, or practice, a single snap with the organization, but his veteran presence already paid dividends Saturday with his iPad swipes and pass rush tips.
Perhaps he’ll deliver a similar result once the pads come on. The Falcons are certainly optimistic he can.
“That’s a huge boost,” Williams said. “I’ve seen the things he’s done and the energy he brings, and that’s going to be a huge boost to the group. He’s just ready to go.”