Atlanta Falcons Add More Depth on DL in Fourth Round

After taking Michael Penix in the first round, the Atlanta Falcons have gone three-straight on the defensive line.

Atlanta Falcons NFL Draft Pick Brandon Dorlus Oregon Ducks / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Atlanta Falcons started the third day of the 2024 NFL Draft the same way they spent Day 2 – addressing their defensive front.

With the No. 109 overall selection, Atlanta picked Oregon defensive lineman Brandon Dorlus.

The 6-3, 283-pound Dorlus has been an All-PAC-12 honoree each of the past three years, receiving first-team nods in 2021 and 2023 and a second-team honor in 2022.

A three-star recruit from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Dorlus played nine games as a freshman in 2019 and seven in 2020, drawing one start.

He broke through in 2021, recording seven tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks while generating 42 pressures and 33 hurries.

The following year, Dorlus had a team-high 9.5 tackles for loss and added 2.5 sacks. He tied for seventh among all FBS defenders with 40 hurries.

The 23-year-old Dorlus capped his college career with another pressure-packed campaign, making 6.5 tackles for loss and a team-high five sacks. He deflected nine passes, most among all PAC-12 defensive linemen.

At the NFL Combine, Dorlus ran a 4.85 40-yard dash with a 1.68 10-yard split. He jumped 30.5” in the vertical and 9’3” in the broad.

Dorlus joins a draft class featuring first-round quarterback Michael Penix Jr., second-round defensive lineman Ruke Orhorhoro and third-round edge rusher Bralen Trice.

In Atlanta, Dorlus is another piece to a defensive line headlined by tackles Grady Jarrett and David Onyemata, while Orhorhoro and Trice are two parts of a mass group of young players that also includes Ta’Quon Graham, Zach Harrison and outside linebacker Arnold Ebiketie.