What's Next for Atlanta Falcons after James Pearce Jr.'s Lengthy Suspension?

The Atlanta Falcons learned they would be without edge rusher James Pearce Jr. Who's in line to step up in his absence?

Atlanta Falcons edge Samson Ebukam was slated as a starter before Pearce's suspension because of his run defense. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

James Pearce Jr. was just handed an 8-game suspension by the NFL for domestic violence charges related to a February arrest. This is not good news for the Atlanta Falcons, who were going to be relying heavily on Pearce’s pass-rushing ability, especially after having already lost fellow first-round pick Jalon Walker to a season-ending ACL injury. 

Pearce finished third in Defensive Rookie of the Year voting after a stellar first season. He racked up 10.5 sacks as well as a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. His pass rush prowess was a welcome sign to a Falcons team that had struggled to get after the passer in recent seasons. 

Pearce had teamed up with Walker to help the team finish second in the league with 57 sacks, a franchise record. With Walker out for the season and Pearce suspended for the first eight games, there are suddenly massive question marks about the Falcons' pass rush. 

So what does the edge room look like now, and who is going to have to step up? 

The Falcons released a depth chart this week that doesn’t provide a lot of clarity. They list three defensive linemen and two defensive ends that include Brandon Dorlus and Cameron Thomas. Thomas plays the edge role in Falcons’ jumbo packages, but Dorlus is a defensive end when the Falcons go to a 3-4, and he kicks inside to defensive tackle a lot of pass-rushing situations. 

Thomas played under Kevin Stefanski in Cleveland last season, where he mainly served as a backup, finishing with 2.5 sacks and seven quarterback hits. Dorlus now becomes the cornerstone of the pass rush after a semi-breakout season last year.

He will need to find another gear this year if the Falcons are to match the 57 sacks they posted last season.

As for true edge rushers, the spotlight now shines on Samson Ebukam and Azeez Ojulari, who were acquired by the Falcons via free agency. 

Ebukam returned from a torn Achilles last season for the Colts and tallied two sacks and five tackles for loss while mainly being featured as a rotational edge. Ebukam had a breakout season in 2023, racking up 9.5 sacks and starting every game for the Colts. 

Despite returning last season, he said he still didn’t feel 100%, but that he is feeling much better heading into this year. If Ebukam can return to his 2023 form, he will pencil in as a full-time starter with the ability to play the run and rush the passer.

Ojulari also struggled with an injury last season. Most of his season with the Philadelphia Eagles was cut short by a lingering hamstring injury. The Falcons got him and Ebukam on the cheap in the offseason as they both try to rehabilitate their careers and earn a much larger payday after signing one-year contracts with the Falcons.

The wildcard in the group could be 2024 third-round pick Bralen Trice. He missed all of his first two seasons with injury, but he’s looked impressive this offseason. At 275 pounds, he brings girth to the room that was a little light with the inclusion of Walker, Pearce, Ebukam, and Ojulari.

Trice missed this week of practice and likely will not be a participant against the Denver Broncos, but like Thomas, he can carve out a role for himself in jumbo packages as an edge setter before giving way to the lighter, quicker players in passing situations. 

The Falcons also signed Cameron Sample this week. The former Cincinnati Bengals edge is in the Trice mode at over 270 pounds. The Falcons now have the ability to go big on their front five, while having speed behind them in the linebacking corps with Divine Deablo and rookie Harold Perkins Jr., who ran a sub-4.4 at his pro day before the NFL Draft. 

Perkins could also be an option from the linebacker spot. The sixth-round draft pick has experience at edge during his days at LSU and could be called upon to rush the passer. 

Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich loves blitzing his linebackers, and if the team is struggling to get pressure with four, expect Perkins to be deployed as a pass-rushing specialist on key downs. 

Right now, he is still listed as an inside linebacker on the depth chart, but with the suspension now finalized, the team may be looking for answers to pass-rushing questions, and the answer may just be Perkins. 

The suspension was a tough blow to an edge and pass-rushing unit that looked like one of the more promising in the league entering this season. Stacking the Walker injury on top of it, the Falcons are suddenly going to be looking for multiple players to step up and have breakout seasons if this group wants to be successful. 

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