Falcons Targeting 'Loaded' Defensive Draft Class to Help Pass Rush

At the end of a seventh consecutive playoff-less season, Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said he wanted his players to watch the postseason and let it sting.

Morris took his own advice on Super Bowl Sunday -- and what he saw helped cement his plan for Atlanta's offseason: pass rushers are at a premium, and the Falcons need more of them.

"It all starts up front," Morris said Feb. 25 at the NFL combine. "We watched that, a clear example, in the Super Bowl with those guys being able to rush the passer and finish off and do some really good things. So, we look forward to adding those type of players."

The Falcons have spent the past several weeks diving into the crop of players available this offseason. Morris and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich have discussed and defined the profile they want in their players.

Atlanta ran a 3-4 defense in 2024, but after firing defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake and hiring Ulbrich, the Falcons want to become multiple schematically.

The shift fostered communication between Ulbrich, the defensive staff and Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot. They went through player profiles, wanting to ensure they were on the same page and had clear visions for each prospect.

Through their conversations, Fontenot concluded that he'll have plenty of talented prospects available when Atlanta's on the clock at No. 15 overall.

"Super deep on the defense," Fontenot said. "This is loaded defensively. When I say best player available for us, we're talking about not reaching for needs, not reaching for -- you want to take impact players off the board, and so you want to make sure you do that.

"But very, very excited about this year's draft, and what we'll be able to do at 15 or whatever pick that is."

At the start of the combine, Morris said he hadn't started his draft evaluation process. He and his staff had looked at free agents entering the market with hopes of predicting their plans, but Morris's impressions of the 2025 crop of pass rushers was based solely on what he's heard from those around him.

"I heard there's a bunch of rushers in the draft and a bunch of things you can get done," Morris said. "But that's no different than any year. Just a matter of where you find them, where you find them at -- you can go get those guys to be able to contribute to some of the things you can do.

"So, I look forward to having a deep dive into college football, what we can possibly add to our team."

Fontenot said Atlanta's draft board is pretty well set, and what happens in underwear -- testing numbers -- won't sway the team much. Morris said he uses the combine as a guideline to help pull things together.

The Falcons have had scouts on the road for the past seven-plus months. Morris said he trusts and admires each of them, from their judgement of players' ethos to the order in which they rank players.

Atlanta needs its process to pay off. The Falcons were second to last in the NFL with 31 sacks this past season, and they haven't ranked inside the top 10 in sacks in two decades.

How can they break the trend?

"It starts with the people," Morris said. "We've got the people in place to find those guys. Then, it goes to the coaches and them being able to develop some of the players that we already have on our roster. (We have to) be able to add some new players to roster, whether it be free agency, whether it be trade or whether it be the draft. I just think all of those things play a part in it."

Atlanta has only five draft picks and currently sits with negative cap space. The Falcons may have to target a first-round pass rusher, with viable several options -- Texas A&M's Shemar Stewart, Georgia's Mykel Williams and Jalon Walker, Tennessee's James Pearce Jr. and Marshall's Mike Green -- capable of being on the board at No. 15.

The Falcons won't pigeonhole themselves. Fontenot said they want players who fit a multiple, flexible defensive scheme -- but most importantly, they want big, physical pass rushers capable of igniting a pass rush that's been dormant for too long.

"This year, we probably got to increase our pass rush," Morris said. "We'll definitely have an eye for those guys."