The Atlanta Falcons' pass rush was elite in 2025, but now it's all about sustainability. James Pearce Jr's future is currently unknown, so the Falcons must scramble to find a replacement for him. A strong candidate is veteran edge rusher Arnold Ebiketie, who is set to hit free agency this offseason.
While listing players who could be undervalued entering the offseason, NFL.com's Kevin Patra named Ebiketie, and and he's right on the money. The 2022 second-round draft pick has been a strong contributor over the last four seasons, but has yet to yield elite numbers in the way fans expected.
The 26-year-old took a step back last season after the emergence of Jalon Walker and Pearce. He played just 35% of snaps, but looked good in his limited opportunity. His career best 16.4% pressure rate last season is proof that Ebiketie is underrated, and could make another team very fortunate.
Retaining Arnold Ebiketie should be a major offseason priority for the Falcons
In 2025, the 27-year-old posted two sacks, 11 pressures, and 36 tackles. These numbers won't jump off the page at you, but he also posted six sacks back-to-back seasons in his sophomore and junior campaigns, so he knows how to get to the quarterback.
Between his pass rush prowess and 5.8% career missed tackle rate, Ebiketie is an underrated defensive threat. Entering 2026, the Falcons need a guy like him for depth at least. Even if Pearce plays the majority of the season (which is highly unlikely), the Falcons can still lose Kaden Elliss, and would have no depth without him.
Looking at free agency projections, Spotrac projects his average annual value at around $9 million. His full market value is three years and $27 million, which isn't fantastic for his production. I'd expect his salary to be less, seeing how he didn't play much in 2025, but teams could bank on his upside.
Even if his real AAV is somewhere around $9 million, he's worth the risk. I think a 1-2 year prove-it deal would be the best bet, since he's never produced at a high level. If the Falcons were able to get him on that type of contract, it should be a done deal, but Raheem Morris is a threat to poach him.
The uncertainty of the pass-rush is unknown, and Ebiketie provides a stable and reliable floor. Even Pro Football Focus recognized his strong season despite his limited playing time. His 74.9 PFF grade marked a career-high and ranked 28th among 115 qualified edge rushers.
There's no reason not to take a chance on the guy who led the Big 10 with 17.5 tackles for loss in his senior season at Penn State and added 9.5 sacks. Ebiketie is a low-floor, high-ceiling guy who is a perfect fit for Jeff Ulbrich's defense, so Ian Cunningham's next move should be painfully obvious.