Despite it not amounting to wins, the Atlanta Falcons' defense has enjoyed a remarkable turnaround under defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich. Ulbrich has the Falcons' pass rush second in the NFL in sacks through 15 weeks, and a lot of that can be attributed to new defensive line coach Nate Ollie.
Since Ulbrich brought Ollie over from Houston this offseason, he's done wonders in igniting Atlanta's struggling pass-rush. Rookies James Pearce and Jalon Walker have blossomed into two of the NFL's brightest young pass-rushers, while second-year DT Brandon Dorlus has quietly broken out.
Ollie's work with the defensive line is incredibly impressive, especially given the Dirty Birds ranked second-to-last in the NFL in sacks a year ago. But somehow, he isn't garnering any defensive coordinator buzz even though he's proven himself more than qualified for the challenges that come with defensive coordinator responsibilities.
Falcons' DL coach Nate Ollie has proven he deserves a defensive coordinator opportunity
Yes, a large aspect of the turnaround within the pass rush is due to the added investment in the position after signing Leonard Floyd and boldly selecting two EDGE rushers in Walker and Pearce in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, but nobody was expecting a turnaround this drastic this quickly.
Just like Ulbrich, many could believe Ollie is still a year away from making waves in coaching circles, especially since he's a first-time DL coach. But that doesn't change the track record the 33-year-old has contributed to in just seven seasons in the NFL after making the jump from the college ranks.
But before landing this opportunity with the Falcons, he was the assistant defensive line coach for the Texans, where he worked with star pass-rushers Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter. And before that, he coached star players to Pro Bowl-caliber seasons in Indianapolis, New York, and Indianapolis.
Some of the players Ollie has worked with include Quinnen Williams, Brandon Graham, Fletcher Cox, and DeForest Buckner, who have a combined 13 Pro Bowls between them. And given the importance of an elite pass-rush in the modern NFL, the impact of a coach like Ollie cannot be understated.
At the moment, the New York Giants and New York Jets are among the teams with defensive coordinator vacancies, but more openings are expected to follow once the season ends. And if that happens, don't be surprised if Ollie starts to receive consideration and interviews from other teams.