Falcons DE Zach Harrison Hopes to Carry 'Excellent Offseason' into Year 2 Breakout

The Atlanta Falcons have a pass rush question, and Zach Harrison hopes to be the answer.

Atlanta Falcons defensive end Zach Harrison is ready for a second-year breakout. / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

One year ago after being drafted out of Ohio State by the Atlanta Falcons in the third round, defensive end Zach Harrison spent his OTAs in constant flux. There were the introductions, the meetings, the new environments - on top of his first professional practices.

Now halfway through his second round of OTAs, Harrison finds himself back in meetings - but on his own terms. The 2023 third-round pick has been in defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake's office upstairs at the IBM Performance Facility and held individual meetings with defensive line coach Jay Rodgers.

Harrison, 22, is still learning. Lake and Rodgers were both hired this spring by new head coach Raheem Morris, who replaced Arthur Smith, fired Jan. 8 after three consecutive 7-10 seasons.

With a new coaching staff comes a new scheme, as the Falcons played a 4-3 defense last season but are shifting to a base 3-4 under Lake, and new methods of teaching.

It's the second time in as many off-season's that Harrison's been surrounded by new - but last year's experience left him equipped with a vast array of tools he's carrying into 2024.

"If I told you everything, we'd be here all day," Harrison said. "I learned so much in terms of how to be a pro, things on the field, off the field, just really everything. I learned a whole bunch."

When the Falcons selected Harrison at No. 75 overall, they did so knowing he had a lengthy acclimation process ahead. Viewed as a raw prospect out of Ohio State, Harrison was a long-term play by Atlanta's decision makers.

But part of the Falcons' confidence in Harrison's development stemmed from the room he joined, which featured several established veterans such as defensive end Calais Campbell, defensive tackles Grady Jarrett and David Onyemata and outside linebackers Bud Dupree and Lorenzo Carter.

Coaching came as much from his teammates as it did the staff. There wasn't necessarily one consistent message, Harrison said, but consistently reliable support and a willingness to pass down knowledge that's now entrenched in his brain.

"They're telling me things like, 'Hey, do this vs. this,' or 'This how you've got to do this,' or 'Hey, you shouldn't be doing this Friday nights before the game,' or 'Do this Sunday,'" Harrison said. "Little things that I'd never really experienced. Just really, the whole totality of being an NFL D-lineman."

The 18-week season coupled with training camp and the preseason presented another learning curve for Harrison, whose collegiate career-high in games played was 13 in 2022.

Through the lengthy campaign, Harrison discovered the significance of taking care of his body both mentally and physically - and he ultimately played his best football late in the year.

After the first 13 appearances of his professional career, Harrison had zero sacks and tackles for loss and just one quarterback hit. In his final three, he broke through, notching three sacks, four tackles for loss and four quarterback hits along with a pass deflection.

Harrison played at least 25 snaps in each of those three games, a mark he eclipsed just once beforehand. As his production grew, so did his role in the defense and confidence in himself.

But that was then - late December, early January and a rookie season now firmly in the rearview - and this is now, with his eyes fixated on building from the foundation he set late last season.

"I played a year, played in the NFL, played against NFL players, so it's a confidence thing," Harrison said. "I feel like going to the field, knowing my abilities, I've just got to keep sharpening my sword every single day."

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Rodgers and the rest of Atlanta's defensive staff won't put too much weight on what they've seen thus far - while helmets are on, pads aren't. The coaches are still going through the beginning phases of learning the intricacies of each player.

But initial impressions are natural - and the 6-4, 274-pound Harrison's physically imposing build made for an easy takeaway. So did the unseen conversations in the staff's upstairs offices.

"Height, length, athletic ability, twitchiness, very intelligent, sees the game," Rodgers said. "Those are the things that really jumped out. I don't know anything about his physical right now, because we haven't put him through those types of drills yet. But those are things that just jump out off the table."

Harrison, who was listed at 272 pounds last season, added two pounds this spring; he planned on getting bigger regardless of scheme changes, but in Lake's 3-4 scheme, Harrison may spend more time playing inside than he has before.

A base defensive end both as a rookie and collegiately at Ohio State, shifting inside isn't something Harrison is particularly experienced with doing. Nonetheless, he thinks he's ready for it.

"I feel like I could play really anywhere on the defensive line, personally," Harrison said. "So wherever they put me, I feel like I can go out there and play."

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Harrison's ascent inside will be dependent on Rodgers, who has spent over a decade coaching NFL defensive lineman with the Chicago Bears and Los Angeles Chargers.

Albeit still early in their relationship, Harrison is fond of Rodgers, citing his intensity and frequent coaching during practice. Rodgers is detailed and always pushing and correcting, which Harrison said he appreciates as a player who wants to get better.

During his extensive coaching career, Rodgers has seen his share of players resembling Harrison's build and skill set. He's seen how they can be utilized and thinks Harrison can follow the same path - with a little pinch of veteran coaching.

"I've coached some guys with his body type in the past and guys who have played on the edge before who have some size to them that could be mismatches inside," Rodgers said. "And so right now we're just developing the skills."

Rodgers said there are some things Harrison is doing exactly the same as a year ago but also some new responsibilities, making the summer particularly important for figuring out where he fits in the mix of edge rushers.

Thus far, Harrison, who's played with his hand in the dirt on both the first- and second-team defense during OTAs, has passed the test.

"He's had an excellent offseason," Lake said. "He's really excelled - his fundamentals, his footwork, his hand placement has gotten a lot better. You see how hard he's been working with our strength and conditioning guys. And then you don't see a lot of mistakes right now with the new fronts that we're installing and the new movements up front.

"Really like where Zach's at right now, but obviously, there's got to be continued improvement as we finish this offseason."

Harrison's transition to the new defense and coaching staff has been clean, sparked in part by his own personal appreciation for the way Lake runs the show.

The message Lake has stressed to his players centers around playing fast, free and physical. And while defenders aren't able to hit or make tackles at this stage in the offseason program, Harrison already senses an element of freedom within the scheme.

"I love how he encourages us to go make plays," Harrison said. "Like yeah, we have a defense, yeah you've got to make plays in that defense, but if you see a shot, go take it. And I appreciate his ability to instill that trust in us to go be ballplayers, because that's what got us here."

Harrison is familiar with the concept of a Year 2 breakout, which happens often around the league due to a variety of reasons. For some, it's the year of experience and comfortability. For others, it's the chance for a normal offseason after a workout- and travel-filled spring during the pre-draft process.

But Rodgers quickly pointed out that it's not always the second year. Some players may take four or five years for the lightbulb to finally turn on at the sport's highest level.

Everybody's different, Rodgers said, and the speed of progression is heavily affected by experiencing what you're being asked to do and doing it enough to know precisely where you need to put your body and how to utilize your frame.

A heavy dose of reps is critical to fostering this understanding. Harrison started getting a taste of them toward the end of 2023 and appears poised to get many more this fall.

The Falcons entered the offseason looking for pass rush help, as their sack leaders from last year - Campbell and Dupree with six apiece - each entered free agency. Morris said for as long as he's the head coach, Atlanta will prioritize pass rush.

No considerable investments were made in free agency, but the Falcons used four of their eight draft picks on the defensive front - second-round defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro, third-round edge rusher Bralen Trice, fourth-round defensive tackle Brandon Dorlus and sixth-round defensive tackle Zion Logue.

With where the room stands currently, Harrison is a pivotal figure whose season will have a direct impact on the success of Atlanta's pass rush. If he carries over his momentum from last season, the unit looks much better for 2024 and beyond. If not, more pressure falls on the interior defensive line to carry the pass rush burden.

The Falcons are still waiting for Harrison's ultimate "a-ha" moment, and it's an inexact science to predict when exactly it may occur - but there's considerable internal optimism about where he is and where he's heading.

"You got to be able to develop everyone, and at some point, it just starts to click," Rodgers said. "And guys like Zach, only time will tell. Will it be this year? Will it be the first week of training camp? Will it be the last week of training camp?

"You just don't know, but in the meantime, we can continue to train and push for those dominant plays."

As for Harrison, individual success is important, but it's not his ultimate goal in 2024. During his four seasons at Ohio State, the Buckeyes went 42-6 and didn't lose more than two games in a single campaign.

In Harrison's first professional season, the Falcons went 7-10 and lost four of their final five games. They were outscored 85-34 the last two weeks, resulting in Smith's ousting and a new group of faces on the defensive coaching staff.

So, a Year 2 breakout? It sounds nice, if not probable, to Harrison - but he's focused on much more than himself as the season grows closer.

"Win games," Harrison said. "Simple as that."

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