Falcons Sign Pass Rusher

The pass rush-starved Atlanta Falcons made a decision Thursday on veteran edge defender Demone Harris.

The Atlanta Falcons made a roster decision on defensive lineman Demone Harris on Tuesday. / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Falcons have made an in-house addition to their pass rush.

Atlanta signed defensive lineman Demone Harris from the practice squad to the active roster, the team announced in a press release Friday.

Harris has been on the Falcons' practice squad all season. He was promoted to the active roster for each of Atlanta's games from Week 7-9, recording three tackles, one tackle for loss and a quarterback hit across 97 defensive snaps.

After Harris's first promotion to the active roster in Week 7 against the Seattle Seahawks, Falcons head coach Raheem Morris touted his edge-setting and pressure creation.

Defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake noted it was the continuation of what Harris has done all year in practice at IBM Performance Field.

"We were not surprised, because it's been showing in practice," Lake said. "He earned the right to go out there and get some reps. We have been seeing him for weeks now. He played excellent in training camp, the preseason games. We thought he was a player we knew would contribute at some point."

The 28-year-old Harris had a strong summer for the Falcons, culminating in a standout preseason in which he recorded four tackles, two quarterback hits, one tackle for loss, one pass defended and a forced fumble.

Harris, who went undrafted out of the University at Buffalo in 2018 and has appeared in 15 career games across stops with five different teams, has spent this season on Atlanta's scout team. Before a Week 6 matchup against the Carolina Panthers, he played the role of Panthers outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney.

Now, Harris is on the Falcons' 53-man roster -- with hopes of elevating a pass rush that currently ranks last in the NFL with just 10 sacks in 11 games.