The Falcoholic
Who is headed to Atlanta in the latest round ofm ocks?
The Senior Bowl is upon us and with it comes an emotion that Atlanta Falcons fans are all too familiar with: Hope.
Now, hope is a complicated emotion, because with it comes expectation. And if there’s one thing that you don’t put on a young, developing quarterback, it’s expectations. Even if Michael Penix, Jr. seems more than mature enough to handle them.
To take some of the load off him, this defense has to be more productive than the lifeless unit that limped out there in 2024. With the hire of new defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, there looks to be more of a focus on getting more explosive play out of the defense.
With that in mind, experts don’t know how they’re initially going to add that explosion, but there were a few players that NFL draftniks seem to like the most.
Atlanta simply needs to continue adding talent on defense. The Falcons have failed to generate much of a pass rush and Jalon Walker would help them do that although in an unorthodox manner.
Expect to hear this name a lot more as we get into predraft events. Stewart still has some development ahead, but his athletic traits at 6-6, 290 pounds could push him up the board this spring. Atlanta was 31st in sacks (31) and 27th in pass rush win rate (34.1%) this season, and it hasn’t done nearly enough to clean up that weakness. The Matthew Judon trade in August was a step in the right direction, but he added just 5.5 sacks this season and is a free agent.
Stewart didn’t rack up sacks in college — 1.5 in 2024 — but he has the potential to break out in a big way in the pros.
This defense desperately needs an impact edge rusher, and in this scenario, they don’t have to look far to get their man. Williams missed a chunk of the 2024 season due to injury, but when healthy, he was dominant force for the Bulldogs against both the run and pass. He’d be an ideal fit for a Falcons defense that simply doesn’t get enough splash plays from their pass rush.
Johnson is a polarizing player around the league. He provides size and production, but some questions emerged about his tackling and top speed in 2024.
Jalon Walker is a do-everything linebacker/edge hybrid who’d be a welcomed addition to Atlanta’s relatively weak second level.
While plenty criticized Atlanta’s selection of quarterback Michael Penix Jr. last year, few would quibble with...
