In terms of their defensive line room, the Atlanta Falcons have left a lot to be desired. The pass-rushing tandem of Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. is elite, especially now that Pearce is back in the building for mandatory minicamp, but the interior of the defensive line is the weak link.
The Falcons' defensive tackle group underwent a House Hunters-like rejuvenation this offseason. They lost David Onyemata in free agency and traded Ruke Orhorhoro for Maason Smith, but it's the players they brought back who will have the biggest bearing on the improvements this group makes.
The Falcons got a breakout year out of Brandon Dorlus in 2025, as his 8.5 sack total cemented himself as a cornerstone on this defensive line, but his numbers almost didn't belong to him. Zach Harrison was in for the same type of season if he hadn't gotten injured midway through the season.
Zach Harrison is in for his own Brandon Dorlus-like leap in 2026
The fourth-year defensive tackle was well on his way to a career year, and it was unexpectedly cut short. Through seven starts, he recorded a career-high 4.5 sacks and five tackles for loss. And he also forced two fumbles before he was placed on IR with a knee injury that ended his season.
The 24-year-old clearly has a bright future, and we know the Dirty Birds are relying upon a fully-healthy Harrison to continue improving. But here's the thing, his future with the team could be in jeopardy because he's entering a contract year, but it's hard to move off a player with such upside.
The Falcons have the 2027 cap space to sign the Ohio State product to a long-term extension, but if they get off to a slow start, do you think they would consider moving him before the trade deadline? Potentially. Ian Cunningham does love his draft capital. but losing him would do more harm than good.
We all know about the NFL'c contract year paradox. As long as Harrison continues his growth in Year 2 in Jeff Ulbrich's system, he's going to command a nice payday next offseason. Players tend to make themselves plenty of money in the season before they hit free agency, and he deserves his cash too.
This is his first season under this new regime, so in a weird way, Zach Harrison's brief breakout season is something he needs to build on in 2026 to confirm his future with the Falcons. And it's quietly applying more pressure on his future in Atlanta than ever before.
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