John Cominsky could be key to a productive Falcons pass rush

Despite having a quiet rookie campaign, John Cominsky could be pivotal in what Raheem Morris and the defense want to accomplish in 2020. The fourth-round pick out of Charleston is expected to have a much more substantial role as he enters his second season, making him a potential breakout candidate for the Falcons this year.

The Falcons value defensive end/tackle hybrids, such as Allen Bailey and Jack Crawford. John Cominsky is another one of those versatile defensive linemen and has the potential to be a three-down player. His size allows him to play inside, and he possesses the speed to play outside, affording Morris the luxury to use Cominsky outside in base packages and kick him inside on third downs.

“[In our] base package we’re going to keep him at defensive end and then we do want to see him work some inside, we did that some last year and that was part of his progression,” Quinn said earlier in this offseason. “First and second downs [he will play] defensive end and then on some third-down scenarios, definitely work him inside.”

It seems evident that Grady Jarrett will play a majority of the defensive snaps going forward. The other half of the interior rushing tandem is what will be fluid throughout the season. Cominsky will get his shot but will compete for those third-down pass rush reps with Marlon Davidson and Allen Bailey. Though, it seems as if both the coaches and fellow players have noticed Cominsky’s potential.

“He’s a big dude,” Grady Jarrett said, via the AJC. “He’s versatile. He can play all across the defensive line, whether it’s tackle or end. He’s a factor on special teams. We are excited for him to show what he can do. He’s a guy that wants to prove it to us that he belongs. He wants to go out there and have a good showing.”

The team signed Dante Fowler this offseason to rush on the outside. With another athletic big man in the middle of the defense, the pass rush could see a dramatic improvement from a year ago, more in line with the latter half of the 2019 season.