Falcons Madden OLB Ratings: Arnold Ebiketie Best Rookie Pass Rusher?

Ebiketie is one of the best rookie pass rushers from this year's draft class.

After recording just 18 sacks last season, the Atlanta Falcons knew they needed to address the pass rush in the NFL Draft.

Atlanta's first of two second-round picks, Arnold Ebiketie, enters his rookie season with immense expectations. After posting 17 tackles-for-loss and 9.5 sacks in his final season at Penn State, the 23-year-old is viewed as the Falcons' best chance at developing an elite pass rusher.

Ebiketie has excellent proportional length with over 34-inch arms, creating an intriguing frame in regard to natural leverage. Off the edge, he's an athletic, high-effort player whose sheer competitiveness caught the Falcons' eye long before his breakout 2021 season.

As Ebiketie enters his first training camp, he's expected to be in competition for a starting job at outside linebacker. Considering his impact against both the run and pass in Happy Valley, having a three-down impact as a rookie seems possible.

Last season, Falcons coaches tended to give veterans the first opportunity with rookies being worked in as the season progressed. However, Ebiketie might simply be too talented and skilled for that to be the case this year.

Outside of Travon Walker, Aidan Hutchinson and Kayvon Thibodeaux (all top-5 picks), Ebiketie is the highest-rated rookie outside linebacker in Madden 23.

Here's a look at the rest of the Falcons outside linebacker ratings ...

Overall

Lorenzo Carter: 73

Arnold Ebiketie: 72

DeAngelo Malone: 67

Ade Ogundeji: 66

Quinton Bell: 60

Speed

Lorenzo Carter: 88

Quinton Bell: 88

DeAngelo Malone: 87

Arnold Ebiketie: 84

Ade Ogundeji: 79

Acceleration

Quinton Bell: 91

Lorenzo Carter: 90

DeAngelo Malone: 90

Arnold Ebiketie: 87

Ade Ogundeji: 79

Agility

Arnold Ebiketie: 85

Lorenzo Carter: 84

DeAngelo Malone: 82

Ade Ogundeji: 77

Quinton Bell: 76