Five quick facts about the newest Atlanta Falcons defensive end Dante Fowler

Dante Fowler made a huge splash to start free agency on Wednesday when it was announced that he and the Falcons had agreed to a three-year deal.

Like anything else the Atlanta Falcons do, there are people who are skeptical about this and think that the club once again made a bad move. While he is a big name that everyone knows, he was also one of the best free-agent defensive linemen on the market and had several suitors. The fact that he picked Atlanta is a great thing and pairing him with Grady Jarrett will be a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks.

Fowler is coming off a year where he picked up 11.5 sacks pairing with Aaron Donald. Grady Jarrett commands the same type pf double teams that Donald does and the stunts that these two can run successfully will be a lot of fun to watch. Between Tyeler Davison, Jarrett, Fowler and McKinney, Atlanta will have an opportunity to have the best defensive line the Falcons have seen in some time.

Let’s take a second to get to know Dante Fowler just a bit better though. Here are five facts about him that you may not have known.

Draft History

Fowler was selected third overall by the Jaguars in the 2015 NFL draft. He joined Kevin Hardy (#2 in 1996) as the only two defenders to be drafted in the Top 5 by the Jaguars. He joined Tyson Alualu (2010), Derrick Harvey (2008), John Henderson (2002) and Kevin Hardy (1996) as the only defenders to be drafted by the Jaguars in the Top 10 of an NFL draft.

Atlanta Falcons Rarity

Over the course of the franchise, it is very rare for the Falcons to have such a high draft pick on the defensive line. While the Falcons have drafted several players on the defensive side of the ball in the Top 10, Hall of Famer Claude Humphrey is the only defensive lineman to be taken in the Top 5 by the Falcons.

While Fowler was obviously not drafted by the Falcons, he will become the highest-drafted defensive lineman to out on a Falcons uniform since Humphrey left in 1979.

Reunited

This one nearly everyone knows, but it is still worth mentioning. Atlanta Falcons head coach Dan Quinn actually recruited Dante Fowler out of Lakewood High School in Florida to come to join him at the University of Florida.

If you have never been through the recruiting process, it is hard to explain the bond that you forge with coaches during that process and there is an innate trust that is established. Clearly, that bond still exists as Fowler had other offers but chose to come to play for Dan Quinn a second time.

NFL Factory

As we just mentioned, Dante Fowler attended Lakewood High School in Pensacola, Florida. They are quite the football factory. They have developed more than 20 current or former NFL players. When you think about the fact that less than one percent of high school players make it that far, this is quite the accomplishment.

Other current NFL players include Rodney Adams, Isaiah Wynn, Shaquem Griffin, and Shaquill Griffin.

Sacks Equal Wins

The biggest reason Dante Fowler was brought in by the Falcons is to get to the quarterback. With the NFC South now hosting the top two passers of all-time in Drew Brees and Tom Brady, pass rush becomes even more important.

During his four years playing career, Fowler has accumulated 27.5 career sacks and 43 hits on the quarterback. In games that Fowler has at least one full sack, his former teams are a combined 15-4. When he has half a sack or no sacks, his former teams are a combined 14-30.

That is quite the discrepancy and shows just how successful his teams are when he is creating havoc on the field. If the Falcons can replicate that success consistently with Fowler, this team will be better in 2020 than most fans and analysts think.