Falcons UDFA Ikenna Enechukwu Has 'Toughness' to Make 53-Man Roster

Ikenna Enechukwu signed with the Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent. Can he crack the 53-man roster out of training camp?

Jeremy Brener | May 14, 2023

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Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons are hoping for a lot of production from their 2023 NFL Draft rookie class.

While most of that production is expected to come from the likes of Bijan Robinson and Matthew Bergeron, both of whom are projected to start Week 1 against the Carolina Panthers, the Falcons could find more support from an unlikely source.

Every year, undrafted free agents prove all 32 NFL teams wrong and prove why they should have been drafted. ClutchPoints believes the player most likely to do that for the Falcons this season is Rice EDGE rusher Ikenna Enechukwu.

"The 6-4, 264-pound edge defender may need to bulk up if he’s going to kick inside and learn behind aging veterans Grady Jarrett and Calais Campbell, but he has the toughness to make the transition in Atlanta’s 3-4 front," ClutchPoints writes. "He’s an instinctive, intelligent, physical, and rangy lineman with good upper-body strength to build on as he continues to develop."

Enechukwu, 23, recorded 9.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks for Rice in his senior season, proving that he has the ability to get to the passer. His size worked at the college level, but his pass rushing abilities as an EDGE rusher may not be strong enough to make an impact in the NFL. However, if he added a little more weight and shifted towards becoming an interior defensive lineman, he may have a longer future in the league.

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Published May 14, 2023

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.