'Dream Come True': How Atlanta Falcons Revamped DL With 3 NFL Combine Friends

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- The city of Indianapolis is known for many things, from auto racing to St. Elmo's Steakhouse and everything in between.

But it's also the place where a trio of Atlanta Falcons rookie defensive linemen - Ruke Orhorhoro, Brandon Dorlus and Zion Logue - owe the start of their friendship.

During the NFL Combine, the group of Orhorhoro, Dorlus and Logue spent considerable time together. Orhorhoro and Dorlus previously met roughly a month earlier at the Reese's Senior Bowl, but Logue was a new addition.

They hit it off, and their minds began wandering - but with a cloud of doubt hanging overhead.

"We're not going to all end up together at the same place," Dorlus recalled them saying. "And then it happened."

Orhorhoro was the first domino to fall. The Falcons traded up from No. 43 to No. 35 overall to select the former Clemson standout, shipping a third-round pick to assure his acquisition.

At No. 109, Dorlus followed. He said he began viewing Atlanta as a viable option after going unselected on Day 2, remembering a subtle promise from Falcons defensive line coach Jay Rodgers earlier in the process.

Logue, who spent five seasons at Georgia, watched as his buddies were selected well before him by the team just an hour away from where he played collegiately. For 196 picks, he waited - and No. 197 proved to be the magic one.

With that, the trio was reunited - and Orhorhoro's mind immediately returned to his week in the Circle City.

"When I saw them get drafted, I was like, 'Shoot, it's like a party again,'" Orhorhoro said. "We're here now."

Here, in this case, is Flowery Branch, where the Falcons began rookie minicamp May 10, presenting the first opportunity for Orhorhoro, Dorlus and Logue to hit the practice field as professionals.

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Atlanta's brain trust, headlined by head coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot, came under fire after selecting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. at No. 8 overall, spurning the draft's entire crop of defensive players.

But the Falcons responded by spending five of their final seven picks - Orhorhoro, edge rusher Bralen Trice, Dorlus, linebacker J.D. Bertrand and Logue - on front seven players.

Fontenot and Morris wanted to add young, position versatile players to the defensive line. They accomplished that. They also succeeded in adding three friends who grew close at the combine and have already picked up right where they left off.

"They're both funny," Logue said. "We're all just pitching things off each other, just laughing, having fun. We all walked from meetings (Thursday) night; sat together, ate dinner, ate breakfast. Just having a good time, trying to understand what those guys do."

Logue and Orhorhoro have a particularly innate understanding of one another; they're roommates in the Falcons' dorms at minicamp and share the same meeting room as defensive tackles.

They knew a little bit about one another upon arrival, Logue said, but their relationship has begun flourishing - even though it's still in its infancy.

"He's kind of like a brother that I never was around but we know each other very well," Logue said. "It's going to be refreshing getting to know him more and more over this camp and training camp, things like that. It's going to be fun."

Players have different approaches to building relationships. Penix likes fishing. There's a basketball hoop in the locker room that's seen many shots during minicamp. No matter the task, spending time around one another is viewed as the most important aspect.

By default, Orhorhoro and Logue are around one another more than every other rookie. They've watched NBA playoff games together, most notably those involving the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Logue has ties to Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards; the two went to Georgia together from 2019-20. Logue said Edwards didn't always remember his name, so the 6-6, 314-pounder was referred to as "big boy."

Orhorhoro, who stands 6-4, 294 pounds, shares in Logue's size references, but the two have formed a bond much stronger. For Logue, relationships like this one - and with Dorlus - start with the frequency of conversations.

"Watching the playoffs, playing games, sitting in the locker room, sitting in the cold tub, talking to each other when we're in the training table," Logue said. "Just really asking them questions, asking what their background is, what are their views on this."

Dorlus and Logue both effuse positive energies, but perhaps nobody in Flowery Branch does so more than Orhorhoro.

All three players spent five years in college and understand the highs and lows that come throughout the grueling football calendar. That's where Orhorhoro's steady dose of wide, contagious smiles enter the mix - and may prove beneficial sooner rather than later in Atlanta's locker room.

"It's every day," Dorlus said about Orhorhoro's energy. "You need a guy like that, because you might have a day where you come in (and) you're just slouching and then Ruke gets loud like, 'Come on, let's go.' I love that. I feed off it - it gets me going. I like that a lot."

From 2021-22, the Falcons' pass rush registered just 39 total sacks, last in the league by over 30 takedowns. Atlanta took a step forward last season but still ranked just No. 21 league-wide with 42 sacks.

Fontenot and Morris had a chance to address the outside-pass rush at No. 8 overall. They didn't. Instead, they trusted the depth of the class and the quality of their scouting staff.

And while Atlanta didn't go the route many suspected, it ultimately found the path of friendship. Whether that leads to better on-field results will be determined in due time, but for now, it's fostered a strong environment for at least this trio to grow from.

"It's a dream come true," Dorlus said. "I'm happy to have somebody I know, someone to make me feel comfortable. We encourage each other, we push each other, and it's fun."