The Atlanta Falcons are going through some major defensive changes right now due to the departure of Kaden Elliss in free agency. That's a major hole that Jeff Ulbrich needs to fill, as losing a defensive captain is one thing, but losing the player who did all of the dirty work on defense is a pivotal loss.
The Falcons did sign Christian Harris and Channing Tindall to help fill the void, but replacing Elliss is more than a two-man job. It takes a village, and it wouldn't be surprising to see Atlanta further address the position in the 2026 NFL Draft, since Tindall isn't any more than a special teams guy.
We know what sort of linebackers Ulbrich typically tends to gravitate towards: he likes his LBs to be elite athletes. At linebacker, the instincts are only half the battle. The Falcons covet guys with the speed and the athleticism to make plays all over the football field, so one name makes too much sense to replace Elliss: Cincinnati's Jake Golday.
Jake Golday would be the perfect Kaden Elliss replacement for the Atlanta Falcons
Harris and Tindall were some of the more athletic linebackers available in free agency, but Golday is another animal. His relative athletic score was off the charts, as at 6-foot-4 and 1/2 and 239 pounds, he still ran a 4.62 second 40-yard dash, which is deceptively fast for a guy who plays even faster.
What makes Golday the perfect linebacker for Ulbrich isn't his 40 time, it's his other testing numbers. His 39" vertical jump and 10.5" broad jump are insane, and the main reason he recorded a staggering 9.84 RAS in the first place. So you already know 'Brich was just foaming at the mouth watching him.
The issue with the 22-year-old is that if the Falcons want him, they're going to have to pay the price and draft him at 48. There's virtually no chance he drops all the way to pick 79, let alone falls out of the top 64 picks, so if they want to forego a DT or a WR with their first pick, Golday makes sense.
What made Elliss so valuable is that he did a little bit of everything. He was good in coverage, he was a good pass-rusher, and a good tackler.--but he was never an elite athlete. Golday is similar in that he can wear a lot of hats, but has much more to offer athletically as opposed to just being an IQ player.
Just like he did with Harris, Tindall, and even Divine Deablo, we know what Ulbrich wants his linebackers to thrive in space, so if he's looking to bet on athleticism again to find someone to fill the Elliss role for Atlanta, the former Cincinnati Bearcat is up to the task.