INDIANAPOLIS — The Atlanta Falcons would have the perfect draft position — if this was the 2024 NFL Draft.
“What was it, last year the first defensive player came off the board 15th?” general manager Terry Fontenot asked. “This year, that is not going to be the case.”
The Falcons pick 15th this year, but as Fontenot said, they will not get the first pick of the defenders, which is too bad considering how badly they need an impact player on that side of the ball. After drafting an offensive player in the top 10 each of the last four years, it seems clear that they will use this year’s first pick on a defender.
The Falcons are using all 45 of the formal interviews they are allowed this week at the NFL combine on defensive players. Those interviews started Monday night with the most important position players for Atlanta — defensive linemen and edge rushers, who were the first group to rotate through the combine schedule this year.
“Obviously, we have to find ways to generate rush,” coach Raheem Morris said. “I heard there are a bunch of rushers in this draft and a bunch of things you can get done.”
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The Falcons finished 31st in the league in sacks last season with 31 and are the only franchise in the league with fewer than 300 sacks (298) in the last 10 years and fewer than 640 sacks (606) in the last 20 years.
“Pass rush is something we’ve talked about ad nauseam,” Morris said. “That’s always something that you want to be able to do. It starts with the people.”
That means finding an edge rusher, which made Wednesday a good data-gathering day because all of them who were invited to the combine met with the media.
So let’s play “Meet the edge rushers.”
The best ‘safe’ pick — Jalon Walker, Georgia
The 6-foot-2, 245-pounder has no red flags. He might not end up as the most dynamic pass rusher in the class, but everyone expects him to be at least very good. Walker, who is the No. 3 prospect on Dane Brugler’s Big Board, played inside linebacker, edge rusher and a hybrid nickel position for the Bulldogs.
“I feel like I’m better at being that chess piece,” he said. “That increases my value because you never know where I might be in the game plan for that week. A lot of teams want me to still be in that position to play multiple positions for their team.”
From Atlanta’s perspective, Walker’s biggest problem is he’s unlikely to be around at No. 15. The North Carolina native also would be a good fit in Carolina, and the Panthers pick eighth.
The ‘upside’ Georgia guy — Mykel Williams, Georgia
Walker’s teammate is 6-5, 265 pounds, and thinks he’s a lot better than his film from last season showed. That’s because he was never more than 60 percent healthy because of an ankle injury, he said. Walker said he did not practice during the week and then toughed his way through game days last season.
NFL teams “see I’ve got that dog in me,” Williams said. “They see no matter how I’m feeling I can still get it done, and teams are loving it that I did. They said most guys would have sat down, but I stuck it out there with my guys.”
Williams’ length will be a big selling point for Morris and new Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, who believe that ranginess is next to godliness for pass rushers. Williams is 16th on Brugler’s Big Board, but there’s a thought that if he can refine his technique, he can be the best pass rusher in this class.
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The ‘what happened?’ guy — Shemar Stewart, Texas A&M
Nobody at this event is expected to generate more workout buzz than Stewart, the 6-5, 281-pounder, who is ninth on Brugler’s Big Board.
“I’ve got something in the bag for y’all,” he said Wednesday.
The problem for Stewart is his physical skills haven’t correlated to college production. He had 4 1/2 career sacks at Texas A&M, 1 1/2 in each of his three seasons. That has raised questions for Stewart. He tried to answer them Wednesday, although this wasn’t his best moment: “I’ll say production is a little bit overrated,” he said. “When you look at the film, you could really see what was going on.”
He probably didn’t mean for that to come out the way it did, but the comment will follow him if he doesn’t fill up the stat sheet as a rookie. He definitely thinks he will.
“If I keep working, I should be a Hall of Famer one day. Nobody is going to stop me but me,” said Stewart, who models his game after Julius Peppers. “I feel like our bodies and our athletic ability are pretty similar. I’m not going to say I’m there with him, but it’s definitely pretty similar. I was scrolling through YouTube one day watching some of the NFL guys and I saw him and said, ‘Man, he kind of looks like me.’”
Watch the get-off and burst from Shemar Stewart to capture the corner and flatten to the QB.
The man in 280 pounds.
To quote him after the play: “Don’t f-ing play with me! I’m like that!” pic.twitter.com/NxIaGxEowd
— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) January 29, 2025
Stewart also believes he can slim down enough to play outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme.
“I told teams, ‘If you need me to be 250, I’ll be 250 tomorrow,’” he said.
The ‘extra homework’ guy — Mike Green, Marshall
There’s a lot to like about Green. At 6-3, 251 pounds, he’s a near-perfect physical fit for Atlanta’s defensive scheme, and he led college football with 17 sacks because of his elite athleticism around the edge. However, Green was candid Wednesday that teams are asking him about a sexual assault allegation that led to his departure from the University of Virginia.
“Nobody ever investigated,” he said. “I have never been charged with anything. I’m just going to continue to tell the truth. I’m not worried at all. As you can see, through this process I have been rising higher and higher and higher. That should tell you everything you need to know. I’m just sticking to the process and telling the truth. I have no problems talking to these teams about it because I know who I am and I know the truth.”
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The really confident one — James Pearce, Tennessee
On Wednesday, Pearce said he wants to have a Lawrence Taylor-like impact in the NFL.
“I want to show people who the best defensive player is in this draft,” he said.
The 6-4, 245-pound Pearce, who is 21st on Brugler’s Big Board, had 17 1/2 sacks in his final two seasons at Tennessee, and there are no concerns about his physical ability. The questions he heard from teams in Indianapolis were “to see if I know ball, see what type of character I’ve got.”
The potential riser — Jordan Burch, Oregon
Burch is 51st on Brugler’s Big Board, which means he could be around when the Falcons pick at No. 46, but his week here might change that. At 6-6, 285 pounds, he bullied opponents in college but believes he can prove this week that he’s capable of other approaches.
“Some people sleep on my quickness a little bit,” Burch said. “I have a lot of moves in my arsenal. I think everybody in this group is pretty good. Everybody has their different thing they are good at. I think I bring power to that situation, and I’m a bigger guy. If you need a bigger guy, I’m the guy you go to.”
If Burch proves to be more than just a big, strong guy, he probably won’t be available when Atlanta picks in the second round.
#Oregon DL Jordan Burch is going to build some buzz at the Combine. At 290ish lbs, he should do some freaky things in Indy. 📈
Very loose and powerful. Currently No. 51 in my top-100. pic.twitter.com/MPQ6c0GHir
— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) February 18, 2025
The ‘value’ safe pick — J.T. Tuimoloau, Ohio State
If the Falcons can get the 6-4, 269-pounder in the second round, they probably should. The former five-star high school prospect had 23 1/2 sacks for the Buckeyes, and he models his game after Joey Bosa, Frank Clark and Rashan Gary.
“Big ends,” he said. “You wouldn’t think they are all 260-265 plus seeing how they rush, how they used power to set up all their stuff.”
His lack of an elite skill keeps him from ranking higher, but he’s good at everything and prides himself on being a glue guy in the locker room.
“I see all these rookie dinners,” he said. “Hopefully I can do a little barbecue and we don’t go to an expensive restaurant, but if we do, it is what it is.”
The move-him-outside guy — Jihaad Campbell, Alabama
Campbell is not listed as an edge rusher in this draft. He played inside linebacker throughout his college career, which only produced 5 1/2 sacks in three years. But the 6-3, 245-pounder sure looks like a pass rusher, and he thinks he’s versatile enough to make the move if asked.
“I’m Mr. Can Do It All,” he said Wednesday. “I’m a Swiss Army knife.”
Campbell is ranked 23rd on Brugler’s Big Board. That and the uncertainty around how he’d take to a position move probably makes him a risk for Atlanta at No. 15, but somebody might end up looking really smart for taking him.
(Photo of Mykel Williams: Justin Casterline / Getty Images)
