Brandon Dorlus has been everything the Atlanta Falcons could've dreamed of after drafting him in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
The second-year pro has logged seven sacks and ten tackles for loss in 13 games this season, and he has not been discussed as a rising superstar nearly enough.
All of the attention has gone to James Pearce Jr., and for good reason, but the rookie's historic season shouldn't rob Dorlus of the accolades he deserves.
Falcons fans need to give defensive lineman Brandon Dorlus more credit
Dorlus has proven to be the best draft pick from the 2024 draft class.
Looking at the class, Michael Penix Jr. has had his struggles, Ruke Orhorhoro has been iffy, Bralen Trice hasn't played a single snap due to injury, JD Bertrand has been awful, Jase McClellan is no longer with the team, Casey Washington has been disappointing, and Zion Logue was poached off the practice squad by the Bills.
The only player who has exceeded expectations is the former Oregon Duck.
Brandon Dorlus' breakout second season is getting slightly overshadowed by the play of Atlanta's rookies, but it shouldn't be.
— Will McFadden (@willmcfadden) December 12, 2025
He's been a stud this year and just picked up his seventh sack.
It is crazy going back to last year how poorly the rookie class was managed. Dorlus, who is now second on a team that is second in the NFL in sacks, played two games last season. Former defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake had him inactive in the first ten games, then he played in two straight games, didn't play a snap the following week, and was inactive for the final four games.
That was basically the story of the entire draft class last year; the coaching staff refused to play the youngsters. Moving forward, the Dirty Birds have a young nucleus of defensive linemen for Jeff Ulbrich to build around: Jalon Walker, Zach Harrison, Pearce, Dorlus, and Orhorhoro.
That group of players who are all 24 years old or younger has accounted for 27.5 of the team's 48 sacks this season. The team's four leaders in the sack department are Pearce Jr. (8), Dorlus (7), Walker (5.5), and Harrison (4.5).
For a team that has been trending down for most of this season, that is something to get excited about since the best is yet to come on the front lines. And Dorlus has started to get some Pro Bowl buzz.
The franchise has not seen a pass-rush group this talented in a long time. Hopefully, each player can continue developing, and Dorlus will start getting the credit he so much deserves.