Falcons Predicted to Acquire $51 Million Edge Rusher for Day 3 Draft Picks

Atlanta Falcons fans better be ready for another offseason of edge rusher speculation.

On January 13, Bleacher Report's Maurice Moton predicted the Falcons to land edge rusher Bryce Huff from the Philadelphia Eagles. Moton proposed the Falcons send two Day 3 2025 draft selections to Philadelphia for 26-year-old.

"Last offseason, the Philadelphia Eagles signed Bryce Huff to a three-year, $51.1 million contract that includes $34 million in guarantees," wrote Moton.

"Based on those contract numbers, Huff hasn't played up to expectations. While he's struggled with injuries, missing 11 games, the 26-year-old has just 13 tackles, three for loss, 2.5 sacks and eight pressures in six contests.

"In the weeks following those remarks, Huff saw a drop-off in his playing time, and then he missed five consecutive games between November and December.

"While the Eagles rested most of their starters in Week 18, Huff played a season-high 87 percent of the snaps. The coaching staff likely wanted to see him gain momentum heading into the playoffs.

"If Huff struggles to see the field during Philadelphia's playoff run, he may be a better fit elsewhere."

Moton suggested Huff as a replacement for Matthew Judon, who is an unrestricted free agent this offseason.

The Falcons traded for Judon last August, so there's precedent for Atlanta trying to fix its pass rushing problem with a trade for a veteran.

The Falcons hoped Judon would be a short-term solution at edge rusher while the team developed the three defensive linemen they selected on Day 2 and early on Day 3 during the 2024 draft. But Judon largely disappointed in 2024, posting 5.5 sacks, 7 tackles for loss and 9 quarterback hits in 17 games.

With that in mind, it's worth wondering if another struggling edge rusher is really what the Falcons need.

Huff had 2.5 sacks, 3 tackles for loss and 4 quarterback hits in 12 games during 2024. After playing a season-high 46 defensive snaps in a meaningless Week 18 matchup, Huff had one defensive snap in the NFC wild card matchup versus the Green Bay Packers.

It's likely that the Eagles will look to move on from Huff this offseason. But the trade compensation might need to be even less than two Day 3 draft picks for a deal to be worthwhile for the Falcons.

General manager Terry Fontenot may also have to work out Huff's financials to make a trade realistic too since the Falcons aren't expected to have a lot of salary cap space.

If Huff could bounce back, he could be a valuable piece to an NFL defense next season. He had 10 sacks, 10 tackles for loss and 21 quarterback hits in 2023. He also only turns 27 in April.

But the 2023 campaign is the only season where Huff posted more than 3.5 sacks. In fact, half of his sack and tackles for loss production over his 5-year NFL career came during one season -- 2023.

The Falcons finished 31st in sacks during 2024. They improved greatly at pressuring opposing quarterbacks after Thanksgiving, but it will once again be one of the biggest areas of need for the team this offseason.