Predicting who will lead the 2022 Atlanta Falcons in sacks

The Atlanta Falcons are coming off of a 2021 season that watched the team continually fail to register pressure with any consistency. The team was at the bottom of the league in sacks by a considerable margin and lacked one clear pass rusher they could rely on. Opposing teams simply needed to account for Grady Jarrett and otherwise go man across the board and it was unlikely Atlanta would be able to win a matchup.

Dante Fowler Jr. was a considerable bust and the team moved on searching for pass-rushing bargains in the draft and free agency. With all new names now at edge rusher for Atlanta who should fans expect to lead the team in sacks this season?

While free agent addition Lorenzo Carter might be the obvious pick Carter’s injury history is too concerning to count on the linebacker. Atlanta’s sack leader is going to be a surprise to many and a breakout season for rookie Arnold Ebiketie.

Atlanta found exactly the bargain they needed in the draft when they selected Arnold in the second round. Ebiketie has both the speed and power to get to the passer consistently and impact the play.

By season’s end, he will have established himself as Atlanta’s best pass rusher and a clear building block. While Atlanta is still going to need depth at edger rusher during the 2023 off-season Ebiketie and Carter (when healthy) will go a long way in fixing Atlanta’s pass rush issues.

Last season Fowler was the Atlanta sacks leader with 4.5-sacks a number that overstates the impact of Fowler.

Arnold Ebiketie will finish the season with 10.5-sacks in a great rookie season for a player who is going to be a part of Atlanta’s defense for a long time to come.