The Atlanta Falcons passed on the chance to trade for Lamar Jackson earlier in the offseason, and instead invested a ton of resources towards the defense. Adding player like David Onyemata, Calais Campbell, Jessie Bates, Bud Dupree, and a few more names, should improve what was an under-the-radar good defense last season. However, amid all the new additions, including a new defensive coordinator, Ryan Nielsen, one young, returning edge rusher could be the most important of the bunch.
On Tuesday's edition of the "Jon Chuckery Show," Chuckery broke down why its crucial that Arnold Ebiketie develops in to that top-tier edge rusher.
"Arnold Ebiketie has to be their (Atlanta Falcons) breakout player," says, Chuckery. While the Falcons added a bunch of new names to this defense, most of those additions are "second-fiddle" guys. The Falcons did not sign or trade for an edge-rusher that they can count on to rack 1-12 sacks every season. Hence why they need Ebiketie to develop into that.
Chuckery went onto compare players like Bud Dupree, to a former Falcons' signing Ray Edwards. Edwards was a double digit sack edge rusher when he played with the Vikings and had Jarrett Allen to take the pressure away from him, but "flopped" when he came to Atlanta. "We don't have a Jarrett Allen on this team," Jon says.
However, if Ebiketie, who only started in one game last year and totaled 2 forced fumbles and 2.5 sacks in 16 games during his rookie campaign. A leap in the former Penn State Panther would unlock a consistent pass rush, something that has been missing in Atlanta since Vic Beasley's 15.5 sack season in 2016.