Falcons training camp is well underway and the preseason is around the corner.
For the first time in years, there is legitimate excitement surrounding the professional football team in Atlanta. A lot of that is due to Michael Penix Jr., who looks to have the makings of the organization’s first franchise quarterback since Matt Ryan. With Penix under center, the offense is set up for an explosion. However, the defense enters the 2025 season with more questions than answers.
The only way the Falcons can get out of the cellar on that side of the ball is if some of their young talent steps up, especially across the defensive line. Jalon Walker and James Pearce — Atlanta’s two first round picks from this year — will nab all of the headlines, but Ruke Orhorhoro and Brandon Dorlus becoming impact defenders is equally as important.
With Grady Jarrett now in Chicago, it’s imperative Orhorhoro becomes a staple in the middle of the Falcons defensive line rather immediately. He showed some flashes in limited playing time as a rookie, particularly against the run, but he will be relied on much more going into year two.
Orhorhoro wasn’t the only one bringing the intensity to practice over the weekend, though. On Sunday, there were multiple scuffles between the offense and defense, and rookie James Pearce Jr. was at the center of both of them.
The primary knock on James Pearce Jr. coming out of Tennessee, which led to him being off a lot of teams’ draft boards, was a growing concern about how much he really loved the game. After days of homework leading up to the draft, the Falcons felt confident in the kind of person they were getting, and while fighting might be unacceptable during games, seeing that level of intensity from Pearce in practice is an encouraging sign.
This Falcons defense has been way too soft in the past. They desperately need a jolt of attitude, and perhaps that’s exactly what Orhorhoro and Pearce can provide this year, even if there are some growing pains with them on the field.
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