Atlanta Falcons must target the pass rush in free agency and the draft

The Atlanta Falcons need to drastically improve their pass rush.

Last season Deion Jones led the Atlanta Falcons with just 4.5 sacks. Having a middle linebacker lead the team in sacks is a bad look for the defense. Grady Jarrett had the second-most sacks with four.

Dante Fowler, Steven Means, and Charles Harris all tied with three sacks on the year. Having a starting defensive end log just three sacks is not good for a team that has hopes of ending their three-year playoff drought.

The Falcons need to overhaul their pass rush and is something that is going to be difficult to do in one season. Hopefully, defensive coordinator Dean Pees can get the most out of Dante Fowler during the 2021 season – who has an $18 million dollar cap hit.

With limited money and resources, the Atlanta Falcons need to focus on the pass rush in both free agency and the draft. With a few restructures they can create enough cap space to add one free agency pass rusher and they need to choose wisely.

Some of the big names available this offseason include JJ Watt, Von Miller, Shaquil Barrett, Matt Judon, and Jadeveon Clowney.

Atlanta Falcons fans need to go ahead and give up on Watt, Miller, Barrett, and Clowney because all those guys are going to receive a massive payday. Not only are these five going to get massive paydays but they are also looking to join a Super Bowl contender, which the Falcons are not as of now.

Instead, Terry Fontenot needs to look at the tier two pass rushers in free agency that will not demand a massive payday but will also not under-produce like the free agents the club has signed in recent years.

One player the Atlanta Falcons need to have their eye on is Bengals defensive end, Carl Lawson.

According to Spotrac, Lawson is projected to have an $8.8 Million annual market value, and the contract they projected is four years $35 Million.

This is the perfect contract and player for a team that has limited cap space and needs a pass rusher with a high upside. Lawson is from Georgia having spent his prep career at Milton high school, so bringing him home seems like a perfect fit.

The Atlanta Falcons also need to target a pass rusher at some point during the 2021 NFL Draft.

Unfortunately for the Atlanta Falcons, there are no pass rushers worthy of the number four overall pick. They need to trade down if they are using their first pick or they trade up from their second-round pick to draft a pass rusher to select someone at the end of the first round.

Potential options for the Atlanta Falcons are Joseph Ossai and Jayson Oweh. Both are projected to be 3-4 outside linebackers which is perfect for Dean Pees’ defensive scheme.

Texas’ Joseph Ossai is probably the guy the Atlanta Falcons want to go after first.

Ossai is 6’4 and 253 pounds which is a great height and weight for an edge rusher. Ossai finished the 2020 season with five sacks and three forced fumbles which is good for a shortened college football season.

If the Atlanta Falcons cannot get Ossai, Jayson Oweh from Penn State is another option. Oweh is 6’5 253 pounds and the only knock on him seems to be that he played alongside Micah Parson and was not as dominant.

With the Atlanta Falcons limited in cap space and resources, they need to target pass rushers in both the 2021 NFL draft as well as free agency.