In recent years, the Falcons have heavily invested in their offense through the draft. Kyle Pitts, Drake London, and Bijan Robinson were all first-round picks. This offseason, Atlanta dumped more money into their offense by signing Pro Bowl QB Kirk Cousins to a $180 million deal.
What about their defense? Specifically their lackluster pass rush over the last five-plus years. Per Greg Auman of Fox Sports, the Falcons have the longest drought of not having a player record 10+ sacks in one season. The last time that happened for the team was in 2016. With a defensive-minded head coach in Raheem Morris, maybe the Falcons will target more defensive players in the 2024 Draft.
Can the Falcons have a player record 10+ sacks next season or will their embarrassing streak continue?
Morning trivia: What NFL team has gone the longest without a player getting at least 10 sacks in a season? There were 19 teams with one last year, and all but five teams have had one in the last three years …
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) April 2, 2024
It’s been seven full seasons since the Falcons have had a player record 10+ sacks in a single season. That is the longest drought in the NFL and one the team would like to change. In 2016, Vic Beasley recorded a league-high (15.5) sacks and was named first-team All-Pro. Beasley never reached double-digit sacks again in his career and his last professional season was in 2020. Since then, the Falcons have been searching for a player who can record 10+ sacks in a single season.
On their roster, the Falcons have Arnold Ebiketie, Lorenzo Carter, and DeAngelo Malone as their top pass rushers. The three combined for (4.5) sacks in 2023. That type of production is simply not going to cut it for the team. Additionally, their two top pass rushers from 2023 are currently free agents. Calais Campbell and Bud Dupree are both on the market right now and each had (6.5) sacks with the team last season. Why have the Falcons been neglecting their pass rush for so long? Will they finally address the need in the 2024 Draft?
Raheem wants pass rush 👀 #Falcons https://t.co/yeU2XW7FnX
— Bijan Believer 7️⃣#DBNR (@DBNREPORT) March 27, 2024
There are several free agents the Falcons could have signed to help improve their pass rush this offseason. However, the team has remained put for now. That could change once the Draft happens at the end of this month. The Falcons have four selections within the top 80 picks of the draft. It’s a great time for the team to potentially draft a pass-rusher who could be a difference-maker.
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