Atlanta Falcons star safety Jessie Bates III doesn't think the team's pass rush has reached its full potential, and fans have to feel inclined to agree. Through six games, the Falcons are 14th in the NFL in sacks, a far cry from the previous three seasons of putrid production.
While the offseason investment has begun to pay huge dividends, the potential remains even higher.
Falcons safety Jessie Bates III on the pass rush: "It's on the rise. I don't think they've even reached their potential yet."
— Terrin Waack (@TerrinWaack) October 23, 2025
Of course, spending two first-round picks (and trading away next year's first-rounder) to acquire two young pass-rushers will always pay dividends; it hasn't panned out the way we all expected.
Unfortunately, injuries and slow starts have hindered both Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. from becoming immediate superstars, but they've still made an instant impact.
Falcons' first round rookies have been off to a disappointing start
Walker has been dealing with a groin injury and will miss his second straight game in Week 8. The Georgia product has started just one of the six games he's played in and has been on the field for just 48% of the defensive snaps.
The 15th overall pick led the Bulldogs in sacks and tackles for loss last season en route to being named the Butkus Award winner, but his impact has yet to consistently translate over to the NFL.
Meanwhile, the second 2025 Atlanta first-round selection, James Pearce Jr., has been even less effective through his first six NFL games. Pearce has recorded just 0.5 sacks, four total tackles, and has only played 45% of the snaps this season. What a waste of two first-rounders.
After back-to-back dominant seasons in college, Pearce has struggled thus far, but has gotten some good pressure on opposing QB's. Thankfully, one offseason addition has paid off.
After four lackluster seasons in Las Vegas, the Falcons signed Divine Deablo to a two-year- $14 million deal. So far, Deablo has been a staple of the linebacker core and has improved his pass-rushing abilities.
After losing Nate Landman to the Rams during the offseason, Deablo has answered the bell repeatedly—but is set to miss time due to injury.
After a subpar rookie campaign, the Falcons' 2024 second-round pick has stepped up massively. Defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro has 1.5 sacks and 12 pressures through six games and has already outpaced a majority of his rookie numbers.
Despite a crowded DL room, Orhorhoro is the starting nose tackle on the Falcons' depth chart and for good reason.
Entering Week 8, there is a lot to like and be excited about with the Falcons' pass rush. Of course, the inflated sack numbers are exciting, but Bates is right, there's more to come. If key rookies perform closer to expectations, the defensive dominance under Jeff Ulbrich will only continue.
While the Falcons have been quite inconsistent on both sides of the football through six games, one thing's for sure: the pass rush has improved considerably. Even still, the unit has yet to reach its full potential.