Rushing the passer is one of the most difficult things for any new player in the league. The young players go from feasting on lesser talent in college, to facing the best of the best in the pros.
It is rare to see a rookie blast through the gate and consistently pressure the quarterback, yet that is what the Atlanta Falcons are expecting from their two talented first-round picks.
Ultimately, this could come back to haunt them in a few months.
Falcons are expecting big seasons from their two rookies, which isn't fair
In no way am I saying that Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. won't become great players in the NFL; they likely will. What I am saying is that expecting eight-plus sacks from either one or both of them isn't fair.
Look at what history tells us: rookie pass rushers usually struggle. It is the unfortunate truth, and the Falcons prepare for it.
Last year, Braden Fiske led rookies in sacks with eight as an interior lineman. Chop Robinson had the most among edge rushers with six.
Keep in mind, last year was a great class of pass rushers.
The last rookie to have double-digit sacks was Micah Parsons in 2021. The Falcons cannot expect either of their rookies to be Parsons right out of the gate.
All that said, this becomes null if one (or both) of them defies the historical data, or the group of Arnold Ebiketie, Leonard Floyd, and Bralen Trice can shoulder the load.
The good news is that there is no way the pass rush will be worse this upcoming season. While they picked things up over the last half of last season, the overall numbers were not good at all.
At the very least, the Dirty Birds now have hope for the future at pass rush; something they haven't been able to say in a long time.