NFL mock drafts continue to project Falcons taking a pass rusher

The Falcons came into last offseason with two glaring weaknesses — quarterback play and the pass rush.

Terry Fontenot and Raheem Morris completely overhauled the signal caller position in one offseason, signing Kirk Cousins and drafting Michael Penix. It’s paid massive dividends, even if Cousins is coming off a couple of his worst games.

The pass rush, on the other hand, saw some investment, but the Falcons haven’t seen any return. Trading for Matt Judon, drafting Arnold Ebiketie, Zach Harrison, Ruke Orhorhoro, Bralen Trice, and Brandon Dorlus hasn’t improved the Falcons pass a lick.

It will be a multi-year project, and it’ll continue this offseason, with the overwhelming expectation that the Falcons will use their first-round pick on a defender for the first time in Fontenot’s tenure. Already, draft pundits see Atlanta drafting a pass rusher:

— ESPN’s Jordan Reid had the Falcons drafting Landon Jackson of Arkansas

— ESPN’s Field Yates had the Falcons drafting Abdul Carter of Penn State

— PFF’s Trevor Sikkema had the Falcons drafting Mykel Williams of Georgia

— The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner had the Falcons drafting Harold Perkins of LSU

That theme continues with Matt Miller of ESPN, who has the Falcons drafting Nic Scourton out of Texas A&M.

The Falcons were expected to address defense in the first round of the 2024 draft but threw a curveball and drafted quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The defensive needs still exist, especially when it comes to rushing the passer; the Falcons have an NFL-worst 10 sacks.

Scourton, who transferred from Purdue to Texas A&M this past offseason, is a prototype power rusher. Though the 285-pounder might lack elite first-step explosion, he always comes with an excellent pass-rush plan and shows pro-grade hand usage, along with a surprising ability to bend the edge at his size. Scourton’s production is proven, with 15 sacks and 26.5 tackles for loss the past two seasons, but he has even more upside if he improves at the point of attack.

Scourton has been a force in SEC play this season. He’s a fierce run defender and can overpower tackles in pass rush situations. The club could do much worse in my estimation.

But no matter who they come away with in the first round, this is an issue that will demand even more resources poured into it. They can’t rest on their laurels, especially with Fontenot’s draft record.

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