The Atlanta Falcons have been searching for an answer to their pass rush for the last few years. The Falcons acquired Matthew Judon in August to revitalize their pass rush. Judon is now set to enter free agency and the Falcons are yet again in the market for a quality edge rusher.
Atlanta will have Pick 15 in the 2025 NFL Draft. With one of their main offseason priorities being adding an edge rusher, the Falcons could pick one up early in the draft. After the results of the NFL Scouting Combine, a few quality edge rushers should be available at their pick.
Atlanta’s Newest Edge Rusher
The Falcons are predicted to pick up an edge rusher in PFSN’s latest mock draft. This mock draft reflects the results of the NFL Combine where the Falcons are projected to land edge rusher James Pearce Jr. from the University of Tennessee.
“Will this be the year that the Atlanta Falcons finally draft a pass rusher in the first round? Probably not, but we won’t let that stop this mock. Atlanta is in desperate need of more pass-rush help, and this is a great point in the draft to start targeting edge rushers.
James Pearce Jr. is a long and loose pass rusher who offers exceptional speed off the edge. He is a sack artist who knows how to get to the quarterback. Pearce would be an instant plug-and-play starter for the Falcons,” said PFSN’s Brentley Weissman on Pearce potentially landing with the Falcons.
James Pearce Jr. is a DE prospect in the 2025 draft class. He scored an unofficial 9.35 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 118 out of 1802 DE from 1987 to 2025.
Splits projected, Times unofficial.https://t.co/xwtofISHM2 pic.twitter.com/hCb2HUDvKW
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) February 27, 2025
Pearce provides an element of pass rushing that the Falcons have not had frequently over the last few years. Their leading pass rusher this past season was Arnold Ebiketie with only six total sacks. Of players listed as defensive ends, Grady Jarrett led that position group with a very low 2.5 sacks. As Weissman mentioned, the acquisition of Pearce would be a game-changer to the Falcons pass rush from day one.
Pearce Jr.’s performance at the NFL Combine was mixed. His speed was displayed as he posted the best 40-yard dash time among edge rushers that participated at the NFL Combine at 4.47 seconds. He also had a poor showing when it came to the vertical jump portion of the NFL Combine. His stock remains fluid and up in the air as he excelled in one aspect and disappointed in another.
His production in college with Tennessee over the past two seasons has been good, though. Tallying 10.0 sacks in the 2023 season while only registering 7.5 in 2024. This is good production that can be used to justify his pass-rushing ability after his NFL Combine performance. His intangibles are intriguing because of his speed and ability to get off the line quickly. With this, he can put quarterbacks in trouble quickly.
The Falcons could use an edge rusher and would benefit from adding a player like the two-time All-SEC edge rusher Pearce. Pearce’s stock will be a story to monitor over the next few weeks as the NFL Draft creeps closer by the day.