FLOWERY BRANCH — Years down the road when the experts look back on the Falcons’ 2024 draft, they will describe it as an effort dedicated to the future of the franchise at quarterback and to the defensive front.
“Excited about the five players that we were able to add (on Saturday),” Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot said.
The Falcons put the draft on its head by drafting Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth overall pick and then adding five players for the defensive front, along with a wide receiver and a running back.
“We wanted to add some size, some youth and some pash rush,” Fontenot said. “We were really able to load up the defensive line. That was a goal going into the draft, but if it didn’t fall that way we’d have gotten other positions, corners or offensive linemen. You don’t want to force it. You don’t want to reach in the draft.”
Falcons coach Raheem Morris, who is switching to a 3-4 defense, was happy with the new players for the defense.
“I love to be able to move people around,” Morris said. “I love to be able to put people in different spots and find different units that can just go in an cause disruptions for different reasons.”
The Falcons have not been able to produce a steady pass rush for years. They had only 42 sacks last season and did not re-sign Bud Dupree and Calais Campbell, who accounted for 13 of those sacks.
“Whether it be rushing with power,” Morris said. “Rushing on the edge. We’re going to be doing a bunch of different things. That rotation up front in the National Football League is continuous. That is probably the most rotated position (group) in football.”
The Falcons kept all of their five picks on the final day of the NFL draft.
In the fourth round, the Falcons selected Brandon Dorlus, a defensive tackle who played at Oregon.
Dorlus, 6-foot-3 and 283 pounds, is considered a “tweener.”
He was named first-team All-Pac 12 last season. He led the Ducks with five sacks and played in all 14 games and made 13 starts. He finished with 25 tackles, 6.5 tackles for losses and eight pass breakups.
“My style of play, I feel like I can do everything,” Dorlus said. “Stop the run from anywhere. I can pass rush from anywhere. If you set, I’m going to beat you with a plethora of moves. My go-to moves and my counter moves, I can beat you with.”
Dorlus has nine pass breakups last season.
“Just with the play calls that we had this year,” Dorlus said. “Sometimes, I would be more of a spy, looking at the quarterback. Looking for those mesh throws.”
Dorlus moved around a lot along the defensive line for the Ducks. He used to train in Atlanta with pass-rush specialist Chuck Smith, a former Falcons great who’s now an assistant coach with the Ravens.
“He helped me to be a mature pass rusher,” Dorlus said. “Not to have too many moves. Have your A and B move and have counters off of that. He just gave me the mindset to my approach, my get off, the combat zone and the finish. He helped a lot throughout that process.”
In the fifth round the Falcons selected Notre Dame linebacker JD Bertrand with the 143rd overall pick.
Bertrand, 6-foot-1 and 233 pounds, played at Blessed Trinity Catholic High School and is an Eagle Scout from Roswell.
He led the Fighting Irish with 76 tackles last season. He also had 7.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, five pass breakups, seven quarterback hurries and a forced fumble.
Bertrand led the Fighting Irish in tackles the past three seasons. The last Notre Dame player to do that was Manti Te’o from 2010-12, according to the South Bend Tribune.
Bertrand was the fifth Notre Dame player to be selected in this year’s draft.
“I was ecstatic,” Bertrand said. “When I looked down and I saw the Flowery Branch number, I was like, ‘let’s go.’ Then honestly, just meeting coach on the locals day. I just walked out of that meeting. I was I really would love the chance to play for the Falcons.”
Bertrand didn’t workout because he’s recovering from foot injury called plantar fasciitis. He did meet with several Atlanta assistant coaches.
“It went really well,” Bertrand said. “I felt they came away really knowing who I was as a player and person, both on and off the field.”
He is close to being recovered from his foot injury.
“I tore my plantar fasciitis, the first day of Senior Bowl,” Bertrand said. “Finished the week. Didn’t have surgery. Just had a boot. I’ve fully recovered from that.”
The Falcons had three picks in the sixth round and selected Alabama running back Jase McClellan, Illinois wide receiver Casey Washington and Georgia defensive lineman Zion Logue.
AJC’S 2024 POSITION-BY-POSITION DRAFT SERIES
WIDE RECEIVERS -- Don’t sleep on Washington’s Rome Odunze among talented wide receivers | Top 10 WRs
RUNNING BACKS -- ‘Day two is going to be the running back day,’ an analyst says | Top 10 RBs
TIGHT ENDS -- Ex-Georgia standout Brock Bowers is the top tight end | Top 10 TEs
QUARTERBACKS -- After Caleb Williams, is Jayden Daniels or Drake Maye the next quarterback? | Top 10 QBs
OFFENSIVE LINE -- Mims, Van Pran-Granger could help NFL teams in the trenches | Top 5 C, OG, OTs
DEFENSIVE LINE -- T’Vondre Sweat’s recent arrest will impact his status | Top 5 DTs, DEs
LINEBACKERS -- Dallas Turner likes to hit quarterbacks | Top 10 LBs
CORNERBACKS -- Alabama cornerbacks Arnold, McKinstry ready for next level | Top CBs
SAFETIES --Javon Bullard’s instinctive play style should translate well in NFL | Top 10 safeties
SPECIAL TEAMS -- NFL draft: New kickoff return rules to boost special-teams players | Top 10 special
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