Every NFL team’s breakout star for this season

Breakout NFL candidates for 2023: Atlanta Falcons – Arnold Ebiketie

The Atlanta Falcons offense is getting all of the hype this offseason. After taking Bijan Robinson with their first-round pick, it’s all eyes on the point scorers. However, that’s a little obvious. Drake London, Robinson, and even Desmond Ridder are going to get a ton of hype as possible breakout candidates. That has us looking at the defensive side. Arnold Ebiketie as a pass rusher is someone everyone should be paying attention to this season.

With Ryan Nielsen as the new defensive coordinator, this gives Ebiketie new life in this defense. He’s working on many additions to his game this offseason, one of which is adding more weight to his frame. The 2022 second-round pick left a lot to be desired in his rookie campaign. For someone who calls himself the “Doctor of Pass Rush,” he seemed to be missing his stethoscope. We’re still waiting for our appointment time after he had 21 solo tackles and just 2.5 sacks.

Falcons fans might be worried about the Penn State product should be patient. There may be a reason for that worry, with a laundry list of failed pass rushers in the past, but this one is different. Ebiketie was always a long-term project, but he can become a star in this league. He just started playing football something like six years ago, and now he’s in the NFL.

This is someone who is working his behind off. He may need time to understand the cadences of the NFL, but he has a skill set that cannot be taught. He will be putting quarterbacks in the dirt in no time.