Atlanta Falcons DL Ruke Orhorhoro Ready to Shine in 'More Aggressive' Defense

While Michael Penix Jr. stole the NFL Draft headlines in 2024, the Atlanta Falcons began rebuilding their defense shortly after selecting Penix with the No. 8 overall pick.

For all of the teeth gnashing, and misrepresentation of the trade that general manager Terry Fontenot made to draft James Pearce Jr. at No. 26 in April, he actually made a bigger move in 2024 to select defensive lineman Ruke Orhorhoro at No. 35 out of Clemson.

They traded No. 43 and a third-rounder to the Cardinals for No. 35 and a sixth-round pick in return. Orhorhoro was the first of eight picks in the first through fifth rounds the Falcons used on defense in 2024 and 2025, including edge rushers Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr.

Orhorhoro was eased into the action as a rookie behind a veteran defensive line that included Grady Jarrett and David Onyemata. He was a healthy scratch the first four weeks of the season, and he played just 63 snaps the next four weeks before missing the next five weeks with an injury.

By season's end, Orhorhoro had played just 148 snaps. That's set to change in a big way in 2025.

The Falcons parted ways with first-time defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake and hired Jeff Ulbrich. They released Grady Jarrett, clearing the way for Orhorhoro to start as a defensive end in Ulbrich's three-man front, or slide inside to defensive tackle in a four-man front.

The new defense is something Orhorhoro feels comfortable playing, because he saw something similar at Clemson.

"Towards my last year at Clemson, we kind of switched to more attack style," Orhorhoro said after training camp this week. "The d-line getting up field, linebackers playing off of them, and it's very similar to this," Orhorhoro said of Ulbrich's defense. "A little more aggressive with this defense. It's very much similar, and I'm very comfortable in it."

With Jarrett off to the Chicago Bears, a leadership void opened, but Orhorhoro said there is still plenty of experience to lean on and young players willing to step up.

"We all have leadership qualities, but it's always good to bank on vets that have been playing a long time," said Orhorhoro. "(Morgan) Fox has been playing 10 years. O (David Onyemata) been playing 10 years. So, when you've been doing work at such a high level, man, it's hard to get to 10 years in this league. When you've got two of those guys in the room, it's a lot to learn from them."

Ulbrich isn't the only new face on the defensive coaching staff. The Falcons also hired Nate Ollie to take over the defensive line. Orhorhoro can't help but smile when talking about his new position coach.

"He's definitely energetic," Orhorhoro said of his new position coach. "He probably drinks like 10 coffees a day or something, because before I even get to the hallway of our meeting room, I can hear him yelling from down the hall," Orhorhoro said with a grin. "He just brings that energy, and it's easy to feed off somebody with so much energy that brings it every day.

"It's not like he's up or down. He's always up, so it's easy to feed off of that. Especially days we're tired; it's hot out here; we're working, but once we get out here and pick the energy up, it's really good for us."

There's a changing of the guard on defense for the Falcons. Orhorhoro is one of several young players set to step up and take big roles for a defense that has habitually underachieved. The youth movement started with his selecting in 2024 and continued in a big way into 2025.

It's up to Ulbrich to harness the young, but talented defensive players into an aggressive, attack-minded unit that can complement what should be an explosive offense.