Falcons Rookie Arnold Ebiketie Studying Steelers Star T.J. Watt

Arnold Ebiketie could learn a thing or two from the former Defensive Player of the Year.

Jeremy Brener | Jun 14, 2022

When the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted T.J. Watt five years ago with the 30th overall pick in 2017, the team probably didn't think it was drafting a future Defensive Player of the Year.

That's what the Atlanta Falcons are hoping will happen to them with this year's 38th overall pick Arnold Ebiketie.

The Falcons had to pay to acquire Ebiketie, trading up five spots with the New York Giants from 43 to 38 while also throwing in No. 114 to select the Penn State pass rusher.

Like Watt, Ebiketie was having a career year in Pennsylvania last fall. After three years at Temple, Ebiketie transferred to nearby Penn State, recording a career-high 9.5 sacks and 18 tackles for loss.

Ebiketie's goal in the NFL should be getting to double-digit sacks, and outside linebackers coach Ted Monachino is having his players study every player who recorded double-digit sacks last season, including Watt.

Ebiketie and Watt have a "similar body type," according to Monachino in his interview with ESPN, and could execute similar success if trained correctly. Ebiketie and Watt both weigh around 250 pounds, with Ebiketie standing at 6-2 and Watt at 6-4.

Ebiketie was drafted by the Falcons to fix the league's worst pass rush in 2021. The team netted just 18 sacks a year ago, a number that needs to improve in 2022 if the Falcons want to get better.

Having Ebiketie study Watt among the rest of the NFL's best at the position is only going to make the team better moving forward.

Published Jun 14, 2022

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.