Key For D: What Can Falcons Second-Year LB Ade Ogundeji Bring To Defense?
The Atlanta Falcons need a lot of help on defense, especially on the pass rush front after recording a league-low 18 sacks last season.
While most of the improvement is expected to land on veteran free agent Lorenzo Carter and rookies Arnold Ebiketie and DeAngelo Malone, second-year linebacker Ade Ogundeji is another key cog to the machine.
Ogundeji recorded 33 tackles last season and one sack while starting in 11 games for the club as a rookie. As a second-year player, Ogundeji's role is expected to increase.
Arthur Smith on Ogundeji: "Ade's not a flashy guy. Just a really, really solid person. I love his mindset ... He's tough, smart. Played a lot of good snaps for us last year but they started figuring out and he understands what the strengths of his game are - setting an edge, developing a consistent rush move; you can use a guy like Ade in the pressure packages. If he figures out how to set some of these games up, he can be a very effective player."
The youth Atlanta has on defense makes you excited for the potential, and the lack of veterans ahead of Ogundeji and others on the depth chart will allow these young players to see a considerable amount of reps, which improves their development. And that's what training camp is all about.
Can this translate to regular-season success? That remains to be seen. Ultimately, players like Ogundeji will have to take the reps and development they have made during training camp and preseason to make strides when the games begin to count.
