The Falcons’ nearly decade-long search to improve the team’s pass rush continues this week when the team’s personnel executives and coaches travel to the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis.
At the combine, which opened on Tuesday in Lucas Oil Stadium and runs for a week, the Falcons are looking for defensive help in what has become a predominantly passing league. The Falcons finished with a league-low 19 sacks last season and have been mired in the bottom half of the league in sack stats for years.
The Falcons haven’t had a double-digit sacker since John Abraham had 11.5 in 2013 and have not had two double-digit sackers on the same team since Abraham (10) and Patrick Kerney (14.5) in 2007.
The Falcon have used high draft picks and signed free agents. They twice used the No. 8 pick in the draft to take Jamaal Anderson (2008) and Vic Beasley (2015). Anderson was a bust (7.5 sacks in four season) and the jury is still out on Beasley, who had four sacks as a rookie.
The Falcons signed defensive end Ray Edwards in free agency in 2011 and he was a disaster. He had 3.5 sacks over 20 games before being waived over his poor conduct.
As they prepare to remount their search, the Falcons have perhaps been looking in the wrong places. A revamped scouting department may need to prospect in the later rounds of the draft.
“Robert Mathis didn’t go in the first three rounds,” ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper said. “Michael Bennett didn’t even get drafted coming out of Texas A&M. Sometimes, these pass rushers, these teams miss on.”
Mathis, an Atlanta native from McNair High and Alabama A&M, was drafted in the fifth round by the Colts in 2003 by Hall of Fame general manager Bill Polian. He has posted 119 career sacks.
Seattle’s Bennett was developed by Falcons coach Dan Quinn and has become one the game’s most feared pass rushers from either defensive tackle or end.
There are a few pass-rushing gems available in the draft.
Stoney Brook’s Victor Ochi, Akron’s Jatavis Brown, Penn State’s Carl Nassib, Southern Utah’s James Cowser, Maryland’s Yannick Ngakoue and Appalachian State’s Ronald Blair are a few of the players the Falcons will closely evaluate.
“Certainly, Ochi from Stoney Brook is guy that I think you have to keep a real close eye on,” Kiper said. “This kid had big-time sacks in high school, again at Stoney Brook and at the All-Star game. He’s done it all.”
Blair, from Greene County High, was named the 2010 Georgia Region 4-AA defensive player of the year. A 6-foot-4, 270-pound end, he was named the Sun Belt conference’s defensive player of the year.
The Falcons hold the 17th overall pick in the first-round and have only have five picks in this draft. They lost their fifth-round pick in the artificial noise scandal and dealt their sixth-round pick to Tennessee in the Andy Levitre trade.
Most of the early mock drafts have the Falcons selecting Clemson defensive end Shaq Lawson, Ohio State linebacker Darron Lee or Alabama linebacker Reggie Ragland.
Others possibilities to land in Atlanta include Notre Dame linebacker Jaylon Smith, Eastern Kentucky linebacker Noah Spence, Clemson defensive end Kevin Dodd, Oklahoma State defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah and Florida defensive end Jonathan Bullard.
Spence is the most intriguing in the group, but he had drug issues at Ohio State and was banned by the Big Ten conference after his sophomore season. One of the failed tests involved the use of ecstasy, not a more common marijuana violation.
“In terms of Spence, the interviews are going to be important,” Kiper said.
After a strong showing at the Senior Bowl, Spence’s talent is not the issue.
“He’s a guy who did it at Ohio State,” Kiper said. “He led the Ohio State Buckeyes and was second in the Big Ten in sacks. He did it at the major college level as a young player, as a true sophomore. Then he ended up at Eastern Kentucky and he dominated again.”
Spence could go to the New York Giants, who have the 10th pick, or he may slip and be available to the Falcons.
“His uncle, Phil Spence, played on N.C. State’s national title (basketball) team with David Thompson back in 1974,” Kiper said. “Great bloodlines.”
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