Should the Falcons Pursue Journeyman Edge Rusher?

Former Chicago Bears, Indianapolis Colts edge could fit well with the Atlanta Falcons.

The Atlanta Falcons have a recent history of signing former Chicago Bears. / Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

One of the biggest questions for the Atlanta Falcons this offseason is whether they have enough talent at the edge rusher position. The youth movement for defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake regarding pass rushers is alive and well.

With second-year player Zach Harrison, third-year pro Arnold Ebiketie and rookies Brandon Dorlus and Bralen Tice, the unit lacks depth and a veteran presence, with the loss of 2023 co-sack leader (6.5) Bud Dupree in free agency.

Six-year-veteran Lorenzo Carter remains but is a role player at best, as he only produced three sacks last season. However, there is one free agent that could remedy their lack of veteran presence and pass-rush efficiency. 

Yannick Ngakoue can give the Falcons the pass rush boost they need. 

Yannick Ngakoue, a seasoned veteran with a nine-year NFL career, could be the key to solving the Falcons' pass-rush challenges. His recent stint with the Chicago Bears, where he managed four sacks, might not fully reflect his potential. After all, the Bears' defense was rarely in favorable pass-rushing situations in 2023.

It's his previous two seasonswith the Las Vegas Raiders and Indianapolis Colts that truly highlight his potential, as he accumulated an impressive 19.5 sacks and established himself as one of the league’s top situational pass rushers. 

Yannick Ngakoue beats his blocker with the cross chop/club. Gets the strip-sack & Philon recovered! #passrush #raiders pic.twitter.com/9bi0g4PPQ7

— DLineVids (@dlinevids1) November 7, 2021

In his nine NFL seasons, his 65 sacks are impressive regardless of the number of teams he has played for. So, for the Falcons, how could he contribute?

Yannick might be the bridge Atlanta needs for one season.

Ngakoue has signed one-year deals with three different organizations for the past three seasons, usually to a higher bidder. He could be a worthy stopgap for Atlanta until the team makes an in-season trade or waits until the next off-season to better address the edge rusher position.

With many young pass rushers on the team, he could also be a valuable teammate and mentor in refining the pass rush repetition of the Falcons' future edge rushers. While Ebiketie has undoubtedly shown flashes. Imagine what his game working with one of the NFL’s best sack artists in the past decade would look like.

Sam Howell ficou perdido e foi pro chão! Sack do Arnold Ebiketie. #HTTC

📺: #WASvsATL ao vivo e exclusivo no https://t.co/43yDMqWclX pic.twitter.com/sdmTGb5Kx0

— NFL Brasil (@NFLBrasil) October 15, 2023

The knock on Ngakoue has been his run defense, but the Falcons have loaded up on interior defensive linemen and could use a pass-rush specialist.

As of now, Atlanta does not have much wiggle room in cap space, but with training camp and the NFL season around the corner, it is possible the team sees the need at defensive end and makes a few cap moves to rectify the situation at the edge rusher position to add a player like Yannick Ngakoue before the season begins.