There were few defenders more important to the complexion of the Atlanta Falcons' defense in 2025 than Brandon Dorlus. After hardly playing as a rookie, he cemented himself as the unit's breakout star, and is a player who defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich can rely upon as an every-down contributor.
Dorlus finished second on the team (only behind James Pearce Jr.) with 8.5 sacks last season, and was a big part of why the Falcons managed to break a franchise record with 57 sacks. And as far as his development goes, this is only the tip of the iceberg as there's still a lot of untapped potential.
He hasn't been very discussed this offseason, but 2026 is going to be the season where Dorlus takes another step forward. Last year he displayed the potential to become one of the best young DTs in the NFL, but he has yet to become the household name he deserves to be--but that will soon change.
Brandon Dorlus has his eyes on the prize for the Falcons in 2026
While addressing the media prior to the first day of training camp, the 24-year-old outlined just what goals he has in progress for himself and the team itself this season:
- Win a lot of games
- Play in the Super Bowl
- Make the Pro Bowl
While some of his goals feel a little unreasonable, one of them feels very much in the realm of possibility: making his first career Pro Bowl. In all honesty, he probably deserved his place in the Pro Bowl games last season, but Year 3 will offer him the opportunity to earn a long-term extension also.
Without David Onyemata and Ruke Orhorhoro, Ulbrich and DL coach Nate Ollie are well aware the Dirty Birds need to invest more trust in the Oregon product this year. He's set to play an every-down role on the defensive line, and having Pearce and Jalon Walker next to him will make his job easier.
The veteran defensive tackle is becoming increasingly comfortable in his new role, which is making both the Pro Bowl and a return to the playoffs more possible than we realize. And if Atlanta is representing the NFC South in the playoffs, odds are that Dorlus is representing in Inglewood.
As far as Brandon Dorlus goes, if he wants to accomplish one of his goals of making the Pro Bowl, that journey will start if things go as planned for him throughout training camp and sustaining this momentum all season long.
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