After 'Making Life Hell' in Practice, Falcons Rookie Earning Bigger Role

Atlanta Falcons second-round rookie defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro has played his way into a more prominent -- and fast-growing -- role.

Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro is ascending into a larger role by the week. / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

While Atlanta Falcons rookie defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro waits for a larger role, perhaps no other teammate better understands his feelings than quarterback Kirk Cousins.

When Cousins was a freshman at Michigan State in 2007, Spartans offensive coordinator Don Treadwell gave him a challenge: Play so well on the scout team that when the coaching staff goes back to watch the film, they think, ‘I can’t wait to see what this guy can do someday in the game.’

And that’s exactly what Orhorhoro, the Falcons’ second round pick in April’s draft, did.

“He was making life hell on our starting offensive line,” Falcons defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake said Thursday. “That's what he was doing. He was in the backfield. He was shock-locking, sending the offensive line back in the backfield.

“And so, he wasn't doing it every single play, but it was showing up enough where if you're doing against our starting offensive line, that's probably going to translate over to our opponent in a real game. And it certainly has.”

The Falcons Podcast: WATCH | Spotify | Apple Pods

After being a healthy scratch for the first four games of the season, Orhorhoro made his NFL debut Oct. 3 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday Night Football. He’s played in each of the three games since, collecting four tackles and a quarterback hit.

The 23-year-old Orhorhoro saw 12 snaps (23% of the defense's total) in his first outing before playing 22 snaps (33%) against the Carolina Panthers in Week 6 and 17 snaps (28%) versus the Seattle Seahawks in Week 7.

Part of the reason for Orhorhoro’s delayed action stems from defensive line depth. Falcons head coach Raheem Morris routinely praises the team’s six proven commodities up front: Grady Jarrett, David Onyemata, Ta’Quon Graham, Eddie Goldman, Zach Harrison and Kentavius Street.

In addition to Atlanta’s natural lean toward experience, Morris feels rookie linemen — both offensive and defensive — are similar to quarterbacks, noting the need to adjust to the speed and strength of the professional game.

Thus, the trusted group of seasoned veterans gave Morris and staff the “luxury” of keeping Orhorhoro on the sideline early. Atlanta’s pass rush ranks last in the NFL with six sacks, but the Falcons are playing the long game with Orhorhoro.

Yet his on-field play is forcing the Falcons’ hand.

“Ruke’s progression earned him the right to go out there and get some snaps,” Lake said. “And now you've seen every single week he's gotten more snaps, and you'll see him get even more snaps as we move forward.”

Lake opted to avoid comparisons for the 6-foot-4, 295-pound Orhorhoro, citing the uniqueness of his size, strength and athleticism while noting he’ll wait until more plays are made and more numbers are produced to name drop other NFL defensive linemen.

But Morris took a different approach.

As the Los Angeles Rams’ defensive coordinator in 2023, Morris saw another rookie defensive tackle, third-round pick Kobie Turner, ascend into one of the sport’s premier young pass rushers. Early in the year, Turner played extensively in passing downs but eased into a larger role as the season progressed.

While not as veteran-heavy of a defensive front, the Rams relied on Aaron Donald and Bobby Brown before letting Turner loose. He finished the season with nine sacks, the most among all rookies.

Morris isn’t comparing Orhorhoro to Turner. He does, however, find similarities in their developmental track.

“He got a little bit more comfortable. He was able to do some run things. Did some really impressive things, shedding blocks. So now, his role has increased,” Morris said. “It's improved. He started off with that role, then it’s kind of moved to just playing in rotation.

“He's really moving forward, getting some right directions, doing some really good things, doing some things that are correctable, which our coach is able to correct while you're going about your process. Really excited where he is.”

Not overlooked in Orhorhoro’s development is his relative newness to football. The 23-year-old played in 53 games with 30 starts across five seasons at Clemson, but he didn’t start playing the sport until he was a junior in high school.

Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Orhorhoro moved to the United States when he was nine. He starred on the hardwood, averaging a double-double as a sophomore in 2016 at River Rouge High School around 10 miles southwest of Detroit.

Now seven years after playing his first organized football game, Orhorhoro is at the sport’s highest level. His late start may play a part in his lengthy learning curve — but it also gives him potential Lake is excited to help untap.

“From above the neck for him, so smart, so engaged, so into it, so into football,” Lake said. “And when you have players like that, that are so into it, and you just know they can reach new heights, new heights, new heights every single day and from week to week — he's just got to continue that fire in his belly to keep getting better, which I know he will.” 

Orhorhoro’s rookie season rolls forward at 1 p.m. Sunday, when the Falcons (4-3) face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-3) at Raymond James Stadium. It’s the first time in Orhorhoro’s young career he’ll have seen the opponent before.

That is, apart from his routine splashes against the Falcons’ offensive line — plays that turned Cousins’s head and helped generate an accurate pocket feel during practice.

Now, Orhorhoro gets the chance to wreak havoc on opposing lines. His opportunity may have come later than expected considering his lofty draft selection, but it’s arrived nonetheless.

And the Falcons aren’t reeling him in anytime soon.

“So many of us want things to happen so fast, but we understand it's a marathon, not a sprint,” Cousins said. “I believe good players eventually will rise to the surface, and I think that's true of Ruke.”

Follow FalconsSI on FACEBOOK | X | YouTube