In modern sports, there's a belief that a draft pick can be anything, which has steadily increased their value in trades. But this is becoming especially prevalent in the NFL. With seven rounds and over 250 picks, not every player is going to hit, but in the case of some, it just takes a bit longer than expected.
The Atlanta Falcons have dealt with their fair share of draft pick mysteries over the years. We have hardly seen Troy Andersen take the field on a consistent basis. But do I need to remind you that the Falcons have a recent draft pick who hasn't played a single NFL snap in his career due to injury?
2024 third-round pick Bralen Trice is something of a mystery to Falcons fans. He tore his ACL in Atlanta's first preseason game of 2024 and missed the season, but missed all of 2025 after re-aggravating the same knee injury in training camp. It's a sad story, but Trice may finally be healthy.
Falcons fans are finally getting to see what Bralen Trice can become
For the first time in his career, the fanbase is getting a glimpse of what Trice could be. He's been fully healthy during OTAs and going through offseason activities without any limitations. And if he's taking part in drills now, he is more than on track to return for Week 1 if he can stay healthy in training camp.
The 6-foot-4, 274-pound edge rusher is only 25 years old, so he still has plenty of time to turn things around with the Dirty Birds. Missing the first half of your rookie contract is pretty brutal, but the Falcons aren't asking him to solve their problems off the edge. All he has to do is offer some depth.
The former Washington Husky was named to the All-Pac 12 First Team in both 2022 and 2023, so it's not insane to suggest he becomes a rotational pass-rusher in Atlanta. James Pearce Jr. and Jalon Walker are the crown jewels of the edge room, and they signed Samson Ebukam and Azeez Ojulari.
It's interesting because the Falcons drafted Trice to reunite him with then-DC Jimmy Lake, who was his head coach in college. But he never played a down for Lake in the NFL, and he'll now have to prove his worth to Jeff Ulbrich and compete for a roster spot as an unknown entity to the fans and coaches.
Even healthy, Trice will face an uphill battle carve out a meaningful role on defense. But after two years on the sideline, he should be ready to fight for his NFL future. Let's see if a fully-healthy Trice can prove he was worth the wait and force us to remember his name.
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