Falcons Rookie DeAngelo Malone Has 'Double Digit Sack Potential'

The third-round pick has some massive expectations.

Jeremy Brener | May 22, 2022

When the Atlanta Falcons selected Western Kentucky pass rusher DeAngelo Malone in the third round, it was one of Senior Bowl Director Jim Nagy's favorite picks in the entire draft.

DeAngelo Malone

"One of our favorite picks in entire draft," Nagy tweeted. "Twitchy, violent, fast, & productive. Perfectly suited for ATL’s 3-4 OLB. Should add to pass rush as rook & double-digit sack potential."

If Malone can reach that potential, he could become the first Falcons defender to achieve double-digit sacks since Vic Beasley back in 2016, the year the team last reached the Super Bowl.

Even if he doesn't reach the double-digit threshold, Malone can add to a unit that desperately needed some help last season.

The Falcons had 11 players register a sack last season. Of the 11, just four finished the year with multiple sacks. Of those four, Deion Jones is the only one returning to Atlanta. Foye Oluokun is signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Dante Fowler Jr. was released by the team in February.

Malone played in 61 games during his five seasons with the Hilltoppers and recorded 32.5 sacks and posted six or more in each of the past four seasons.

DeAngelo Malone

DeAngelo Malone

DeAngelo Malone

Malone clearly has a knack of getting to the quarterback, and his 6-4, 240-pound frame should hold up at the NFL level.

Once he can adjust to the speed of the professional game and become comfortable in Dean Pees' defense, Malone just might be able to reach that double-digit number many people are expecting him to hit.

Published May 22, 2022

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.