The Atlanta Falcons will be without star defensive tackle Brandon Dorlus this weekend against the New Orleans Saints, but luckily, he seems to have avoided a major injury after being carted off on Monday night. And that means Atlanta will need other players to step up on their defensive line now.
Zach Harrison was already shut down for the season a few weeks ago, so that means that David Onyemata and Ruke Orhorhoro are likely to see some extended action. However, the Falcons are still making moves to address their holes at the position after signing Patrick Jenkins to the practice squad on Wednesday.
Transaction: The Falcons signed defensive lineman Patrick Jenkins to the practice squad.
— Terrin Waack (@TerrinWaack) December 31, 2025
The Dirty Birds have been incrediby vulnerable against the run this season, and losing the man who is tied for the team lead in sacks is a devastating blow. Both Kentavius Street and LaCale London also haven't been overly productive, so there is a legit path forward for Jenkins in Atlanta if he plays well, but Sam Roberts' impending return will make it hard to see the field.
Patrick Jenkins could be playing for his NFL future with the Falcons this weekend
The 22-year-old went undrafted in the 2025 NFL Draft, where he later spent the summer with the Arizona Cardinals. However, he fell victim to the team's final pre-season roster cuts, and was not retained on their practice squad, but his NFL dreams just received a second lease on life.
The Tulane product shined after transferring over from TCU, receiving All-AAC Second Team honors in 2023 after recording a career-high 11.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks. While his numbers took a nosedive in 2024, he was still productive, but it wasn't enough to hear his name be called last April.
After things didn't work out in Arizona, he is walking into a unique opportunity in Atlanta. The former four-star recruit has a real shot to be one of the players promoted to the active roster before Sunday afternoon, which could be all Jenkins needs to land a futures deal with the Falcons this offseason.
Jeff Ulbrich's defense is turning to an aging Onyemata and a struggling Orhorhoro with Dorlus sidelined, which isn't ideal against a Saints team that will be forced to run the football without Chris Olave in the lineup. And rookie quarterback Tyler Shough is known to be willing to escape the pocket.
The Falcons are walking into a difficult situation, and Jenkins should be well aware of that. Should be appear in his first career NFL game, the New Orleans is in a unique position to wreak some havoc against his hometown team on Sunday afternoon.