The Atlanta Falcons are still searching for a new defensive coordinator following Dean Pees’ retirement, but regardless of who they hire, this defense must find a way to get after opposing quarterbacks.
In 2022, the Falcons recorded just 21 total sacks, which ranked 31st out of 32 NFL teams. As bad as that sounds, it was actually a slight improvement from the 2021 season when the team finished with an NFL-worst 18 sacks.
For some perspective, the Philadelphia Eagles defense racked up 70 sacks this season alone. And while sacks tend to be an overrated stat, finishing with 39 total over two years is a major cause for concern. Fortunately for Atlanta, the team has enough salary cap space to go after top-level free agents.
In a Pro Football Focus feature highlighting one defensive free agent for each NFL team, PFF’s Brad Spielberger named 49ers edge rusher Samson Ebukam as a potential target for the Falcons this offseason.
“Ebukam is coming off back-to-back seasons with 45 quarterback pressures, and he’s not just a pure pass-rusher, totaling 51 defensive stops over the last two seasons,” writes Spielberger. “With Falcons defensive coordinator Dean Pees retiring after this season, there could be changes coming to the structure of the Falcons defense, but Ebukam has shown flexibility as a bit of a tweener with his 6-foot-3, 245-pound frame between his days spent as a stand-up outside linebacker with the Los Angeles Rams and a defensive end in San Francisco.”
Ebukam, 27, was a fourth-round selection by the Los Angeles Rams in 2017. After spending four years in Los Angeles, Ebukam signed a two-year deal with the 49ers in 2021. The former Eastern Washington standout has recorded at least five sacks in each of the last four seasons.
Our latest seven-round mock projection has the Falcons selecting Texas Tech EDGE Tyree Wilson.
