Falcons have opportunity to address a decade-old problem in 2025 NFL Draft

Back in 2016, a season that resulted in a Super Bowl LI appearance by the franchise, Atlanta Falcons’ second-year defensive end Vic Beasley led the NFL with 15.5 sacks. It’s worth noting that the 2015 first-round selection was the last Falcons’ player to reach double-digits in the sack department.

Hence, general manager Terry Fontenot could address this shortcoming with the 17th overall pick on April 24 in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Falcons should add this talented pass-rusher in April's draft

The recommendation here is University of Tennessee defensive end James Pearce Jr. via FanSided’s most recent mock draft from Cody Williams.

“Atlanta has been searching for a long-term pass rush solution for a decade now, so let's get them the all-upside juice that is James Pearce Jr. While there are concerns about the slight frame of the Tennessee edge rusher, the ability to get after the quarterback is undeniable. He's a lightning bolt off the edge that consistently just blows past tackles. If he can add a little mass while not sacrificing that juice, then the Falcons would be getting the exact piece their defense has been missing.”

That “slight frame” measures out at a listed 6-foot-5 and 243 pounds. He played three seasons with the Volunteers, performing in 13 games each year. He really came into his own as a pass-rushing threat his final two seasons. In 2023, he finished with 10.0 sacks, a pair of forced fumbles, and returned an interception 52 yards for a touchdown. In 2024, Pearce totaled 7.5 sacks, and recovered a fumble. That’s a combined 17.5 sacks in his last 26 games.

How consistently ineffective has the Falcons’ pass rush been? Atlanta finished dead last in the NFL in sacks in 2015 and 2021. Dating back to 2005, the team has finished with at least 40 sacks just once, that coming in 2023. This season, only the New England Patriots (28) totaled fewer quarterback traps than Raheem Morris’s club (31). Then again, 21 of those 31 sacks came in the team’s final six games.

Regardless, new Falcons’ defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich wouldn’t mind some additional help in this department.