Atlanta Falcons Edge Rusher Could Be NFL's Biggest Bargain In Free Agency

The Atlanta Falcons finally addressed their anemic pass rush in 2025 when they spent not one, but two first-round picks on edge rushers in the NFL Draft.

James Pearce Jr. and Jalen Walker led all NFL rookies in sacks with 10.5 and 5.5, respectively as Atlanta set a franchise record with 57 sacks on the season.

Pearce's near-term future with the team still has some questions as he works his way through the ramifications of a February arrest, but he's working a path that can see all charges dropped. That doesn't mean the league or the Falcons won't still take action, but he was at mandatory minicamp earlier this month.

While the future is now for Walker, the Falcons needed to replace veteran edge rushers Arnold Ebiketie and Leonard Floyd, who combined for 5.5 sacks last year. Ebiketie signed with the Philadelphia Eagles, and Floyd remains a free agent.

One of the players Atlanta signed as a replacement is 31-year-old Samson Ebukam. Ebukam was originally a fourth-round pick by the LA Rams in 2017 from Eastern Washington. He spent four years with the Rams and two with the 49ers, where he was an excellent situational pass rusher.

He had at least 4.5 sacks for both teams between 2019 and 2022 before getting a shot at a bigger role as a high-dollar free agent with the Indianapolis Colts in 2023. Ebukam rewarded the Colts with a 9.5 sack season, starting all 17 games.

He tore his Achilles tendon in 2024 and missed the entire season. He spent most of last year trying to get back into form and managed just two sacks.

The Falcons signed him to a one-year, $2.8 million contract, hoping he could return to his former prowess now that he's two seasons removed from injury. Ebukam is aware that the Falcons were an improved unit in 2025, but he wants more from 2026.

"I think that my role in this defense is just bring the energy and to get after the quarterback," Ebukam said at minicamp. What I'm expecting is a whole group, is just for us to be different than it was last year. I know it was already like good last year, but we wanna get to that great level of a defense."

To go from good to great, Ebukam wants to improve every day.

"Minimize every type of mistake that was there last week or last year, the day before all that. But yeah, we're just trying to like bond together and just really like strive to play for each other and to just to be better than we were last year," Ebukam said.

Asked if the injury played a factor in his diminished numbers in 2024, Ebukam left no doubt.

"Oh yeah, definitely, because it was like in the back of your mind, and then everyone's always telling me that it's the 2nd year that you really get going after an Achilles, because now it's just not in your mind anymore, and that's where I'm at right now.

"I'm getting off the rock just like I used to, you feel me, actually a little bit faster in my opinion. And you know, I got that strength in there, so I'm not worried about the Achilles at all this year. Speed, power, explosiveness, it's all there."

If Ebukam can return to the player he was before injury, he may just turn out to be the bargain signing of free agency in 2026.

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