'Everything's Way Slower': Falcons' Arnold Ebiketie Eyes Breakout Season

Entering his second season, Atlanta Falcons edge rusher Arnold Ebiketie is building on a flash-filled rookie campaign.

Just under five months ago, Arnold Ebiketie sat inside the Atlanta Falcons' locker room, cleaning out his area before taking off for an offseason he knew would be critical to his long-term outlook.

Ebiketie was days removed from wrapping up his rookie season, one he called "up and down" after posting two and a half sacks, three tackles for loss, 11 quarterback hits (third most on the team) and two forced fumbles, a solid albeit unspectacular campaign in which he showed he belonged but was determined to improve upon.

Returning to the moment, the second-year outside linebacker from Penn State finds himself back home, inside the confines of Mercedes-Benz Stadium as the Falcons wrap up the second phase of OTAs.

It's still quite early, relatively speaking, as the season won't start for another three months ... but Ebiketie, 24, feels like he's done as he set out to do in January, noting a drastic change in his level of preparation that he believes has him set up for more success this time around.

"I'd say it's a lot different," Ebiketie told reporters. "Feeling more comfortable; I have a better understanding of what I'm doing out there compared to Year 1, where I was still trying to figure myself out, trying to figure out what the NFL looks like. So, I'll say this year, I'm definitely more excited because I have an understanding of what's coming ahead."

Pads are still months away from being put on, but growth has already been apparent for Ebiketie - starting with simply handling business during OTAs.

The Yaoundé, Cameroon, native shared a story of going through last year's OTA sessions at full speed, thinking that was simply the status quo as he didn't have any practices akin to that at Penn State.

But Ebiketie saw how Falcons veteran left tackle Jake Matthews approached the sessions and has since made the adjustment, using the time as a build-up period while working towards training camp.

Matthews is just one example of the impactful veterans who've helped Ebiketie understand the intricacies of professional football; defensive tackle Grady Jarrett, who's set to enter his ninth season in Atlanta, is another, as he and Ebiketie hang around each other "a lot," the latter said.

This offseason, the Falcons added a trio of veterans in defensive end Calais Campbell, outside linebacker Bud Dupree and defensive tackle David Onyemata, all of whom have drawn praise from coach Arthur Smith for their leadership qualities.

Campbell and Dupree have already spoken about their excitement for working with Atlanta's young pass rushers, and Ebiketie, who echoes their enthusiasm, is capitalizing on the opportunity to sit back, listen and learn.

"I love it," Ebiketie said. "I enjoy every single moment, just the knowledge you pick up from those guys every day - just picking up every little nugget I possibly can."

The player-led locker room the Falcons have built is particularly key for Ebiketie, who's now working with a new defensive coordinator in Ryan Nielsen and thus being forced to learn an entirely different defense.

Ebiketie also has a new positions coach, as the Falcons moved on from Ted Monachino this offseason, allowing previous assistant Lanier Goethie to lead the way alongside Nielsen and veteran analyst Dave Huxtable.

Nielsen is a key presence in multiple facets, as he arrives after six seasons with the New Orleans Saints, where he earned a strong reputation for developing pass rushers, be it third-round pick Trey Hendrickson or undrafted free agent signee Carl Granderson, among several others.

But evidently, word of Nielsen's ability or arrival in Atlanta never reached Ebiketie, who had no idea that he was being contacted by his new defensive coordinator during the introductory phase.

"It was actually funny, I was in L.A. (and) I had no idea he texted me," Ebiketie said. "He texted me, then he called me. He said it was Ryan Nielsen, and I'm confused, like 'who's that?' and they said the new DC. But he was excited, as I was.

"The main point was, we're going to have a lot of fun, we're going to put a lot of work in, and that was just what we intend to do the rest of OTAs and going into training camp."

The Falcons traded up to select Ebiketie in the second round last April for a reason - they truly believe he can be an impact player and be a part of the solution to fixing a pass rush that has only 39 sacks in the last two years, last in the league by 23 sacks to the team in second-to-last.

There were glimpses of promise last year, headlined by his performance in Atlanta's win over the Chicago Bears in which he recorded six tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack en route to earning Falcons defensive player of the week honors by the coaching staff.

Smith praised Ebiketie's work in coordinated rush plans and felt he improved every week, something that was oft reflected until a forearm injury in Week 12 slowed him the rest of the season. Still, Ebiketie and Atlanta's staff saw the type of player he could be - but also where and what he needed to improve.

For the 6-3, 256-pound Ebiketie, it started with adding weight, something he emphasized this offseason; he said Friday that he still needs to put on a couple more pounds, but he's "right where I want to be" ahead of training camp.

And really, that encapsulates the situation surrounding Ebiketie - whether it be his offseason growth or the presence of leaders and player development specialists around him, everything largely seems to be on track.

Now, the next step becomes putting it all together and taking the patented second-year jump; he appears to be a strong candidate to do exactly that, equipped with a number of lessons from last season that have only added to his comfortability this spring.

"I think as a rookie, everything's just way faster," Ebiketie said. "You get more nervous, and you want to make your mark, you want to impress the veterans. But I think going into your second year, it comes with experience, having played the whole season ...

"Everything's just way slower than it was when I first got here and my knowledge of the game also got better, so it's a combination of a little bit of everything."

There was an air of confidence around Ebiketie, one that illustrated growth as much as anything - he's ready to blossom and has certainly achieved his goal of building on his rookie campaign through the off-season's first five months.

Thus far, Ebiketie has talked the talk ... and the self-proclaimed "doctor of pass rush" looks poised to walk the walk this fall, spearheaded by a wealth of knowledge and strengthened environment that his him comfortable, confident and optimistic that he'll have many more ups than downs.

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You can follow Daniel Flick on Twitter @DFlickDraft

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