FLOWERY BRANCH -- Falcons outside linebacker Arnold Ebiketie, who was drafted in the second round (38th overall) of the NFL draft this year out of Penn State, signed a four-year $9.69 million contract Thursday.
The Falcons now have signed seven of their eight draft picks. Only quarterback Desmond Ridder, who was taken in the third round, remains unsigned.
The Falcons are hoping that Ebiketie can help improve their pass rush. The Falcons ranked last in the league with 18 sacks last season.
Wide receiver Drake London, the Falcons’ first-round draft pick, signed his four-year, $24.6-million contract May 12.
London, who played at USC, was drafted eighth overall. He will be expected to step right into the starting lineup and play alongside second-year tight end Kyle Pitts and wide receiver/running back Cordarrelle Patterson.
Running back Tyler Allgeier, the fifth-round pick; guard Justin Shaffer, a sixth-round pick from Georgia and Cedar Grove High; and tight end John FitzPatrick, a sixth-round pick from Georgia and Marist, signed before the start of rookie minicamp in May.
Inside linebacker Troy Andersen, a second-round pick, and outside linebacker DeAngelo Malone, a third-round pick, signed four-year contracts May 25.
Here’s Ebiketie’s draft bio:
Second round (38th overall) – Arnold Ebiketie, outside linebacker
Height: 6-foot-2 Weight: 250 Hands: 10 1/4 Arms: 34 1/8 Bench Press: 225 pounds 21 times. Overview: He was a late bloomer after moving to the United States as a 12-year-old. He moved to Maryland and played soccer and basketball. He led the Nittany Lions with 9.5 sacks last season. He played two seasons at Temple before transferring to Penn State in 2021. He was a second-team All-American and a first-team All-Big Ten selection in 2021. He had at least one tackle for loss in 11 of the 12 games. In three seasons at Temple, Ebiketie played in 24 games and made six starter. He had 59 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, six sacks, and three forced fumbles. He was a second-team All-AAC selection in 2020 after leading the team in tackles for loss, sacks, and forced fumbles. He has the self-anointed nickname of “Doctor of Pass Rush.”
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