In a perfect world, the Atlanta Falcons will add the next Myles Garrett, Micah Parsons or T.J. Watt at No. 15 overall in the 2025 NFL draft. A superstar edge rusher has been the team's most desperate need for years, and adding one on a rookie contract could transform the Falcons defense and organization.
But clearly, we don't live in a perfect world.
The Falcons may very well address edge rusher at No. 15 overall with James Pearce, Mike Green or another top prospect at the position. Or they could wait and add another Day 2 or 3 prospect along the edge.
Either way, the Falcons should have learned in 2024 that their rookies might not be ready to shine immediately. In Atlanta's defense, even Garrett and Watt weren't superstars as rookies.
Regardless of what the Falcons do in the first round this spring, they should be interested in pursuing veteran edge rushing options. An intriguing potential target just became available on Feb. 14 -- Preston Smith.
ESPN's Adam Schefter, along with multiple other NFL insiders, reported on Valentine's Day that the Pittsburgh Steelers released Smith to save $13.4 million in salary cap space. The move was a no-brainer, as on the Steelers roster, Smith was set to be a backup in 2025.
On the Falcons roster, though, Smith could be a starter. That's what he was with the Green Bay Packers before getting traded to the Steelers at the 2025 NFL trade deadline. There was a little chatter that Smith, who is from Stone Mountain, Ga., could return home in a trade with the Falcons. But that didn't materalize.
The Falcons could benefit in the long run from not adding Smith in 2024, instead signing him to a more affordable deal this offseason.
Smith turned 32 years old in November. He's not the same edge rusher that posted 12 sacks in 2019 with the Packers.
But that means he could be cheap, and with an opportunity to play 50-65% of a team's snaps in 2025, Smith could still be a 6-8 sack guy. He's reached at least eight sacks in six of his 10 NFL campaigns.
That'd be noteworthy for the Falcons, whose leading sacker in 2024 was Arnold Ebiketie with six sacks.
The Falcons made two mistakes at edge rusher in 2024. They ignored the position yet again until Day 2 of the draft.
As a result, the Falcons landed quarterback Michael Penix Jr. I can live with that decision since Penix could be the long-term answer at the game's most important position.
But the second mistake the Falcons made at edge rusher last offseason was allowing veterans Calais Campbell and Bud Dupree to leave in free agency. The Falcons tried to fill the void with Matthew Judon, but that move backfired.
Without those veteran edge rushers or a legit top prospect on the opposite side of the defense, Ebiketie didn't develop as hoped in 2024.
By no means is Smith a long-term solution. But he could be a bridge to the long-term solution -- this year's Campbell or Dupree for a Falcons defense that needs answers, short and long-term, at edge rusher.
In 17 games last season, Smith posted 4.5 sacks with five tackles for loss, and six quarterback hits. He started nine games for the Packers to begin the season. As a depth piece in Pittsburgh, Smith played 30% of the team's defensive snaps.
In 10 NFL seasons, Smith has recorded 70.5 sacks, 74 tackles for loss and 157 quarterback hits in 163 regular season games.
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