Atlanta Falcons Draft Pick Profile: EDGE Bralen Trice

The Atlanta Falcons finally got their edge-rushing defender with the selection of Bralen Trice at No. 74 overall in the NFL draft. Atlanta needed to add someone to the crew to come join the pass-rushingd corps of Arnold Ebiketie, DeAngelo Malone, Lorenzo Carter, and James Smith-Williams. Trice should fit in schematically well and be a perfect fit as an outside linebacker in the Jimmy Lake defense. He has experience playing under Lake and will be coming back into Lake's scheme again.

Bralen Trice

University of Washington

Edge Defender

Athletic Comparison and Numbers

Athletically, Bralen Trice compares to Kyle Van Noy. Van Noy may have never been a lead pass rusher for a defense, but he has always been someone who can create pressure and at worst play well against the run. Van Noy was originally used as a linebacker, but he's played his best ball as an edge defender this past season. Trice is luckier in that the Falcons already see him as an edge defender, and this likely has to do with Jay Rodgers coming from a team that once had Van Noy and used him in an edge-defending LEO role in the past.

Stats and Awards

2023: 15 Games Played, 49 Tackles, 11.5 Tackles for Loss, 7.0 Sacks, 15 QB Hurries, 1 Fumble Forced, 2 Pass Deflections, First-Team All-American, First-Team All-Pac-12,
2022: 13 Games Played, 38 Tackles, 12.0 Tackles for Loss, 9.0 Sacks, 3 QB Hurries, Second-Team All-American, First-Team All-Pac-12
2021: 12 Games Played, 14 Tackles, 5.0 Tackles for Loss, 2.0 Sacks, 1 Fumbles Recovered, 1 Defensive Touchdown
2020: COVID-19 Redshirt
2019: Redshirted

Highlight Reel

Scouting Report

Strengths

Bralen Trice's biggest strength comes from his unrelenting motor on the field. The vast majority of his tackles for loss or sacks come from that extra effort. He does better on twists and stunts when he can ramp up his speed and convert that speed to power. He has fantastic leverage to get under blockers and has a series of pass-rush moves that help him get through blockers. Trice is also a fantastic run defender when he can attack gaps and penetrate against the run.

Weaknesses

When it comes to Bralen Trice's biggest weaknesses, they are mainly things he can't help. He's not naturally as athletic as others and it hurts him in his straight bull rushing. He's got shorter arms and needs to get into his engagement quicker. He has trouble against the run sometimes because he's not as quick as other players. There are times when he's going to focus on the blocker too much and instead needs to get better at focusing on the ball and the play development.

Intangibles & Off-Field Red Flags

Much like Michael Penix and Ruke Orhorhoro, the Falcons are getting another team leader with former Washington Huskies team captain Bralen Trice. Trice is known to be very popular with his teammates and one of the more vocal leaders of the defense. The Falcons have a guy who is driven, one of the hardest workers in the locker room, and highly football-intelligent. This seems like a pattern with this year's draft with this being the third player who is high character.

NFL Stylistic Comparison: Shaq Barrett

Much like Shaq Barrett, Bralen Trice isn't the best athlete and isn't known for being the guy who's going to dip around the corner. He's a guy who plays with anger, and relentless energy and has the highest motor on the field. Trice and Barrett both have shorter arms and aren't known for being explosive at the snap. However, with intelligence, a quality pass rush plan, heavy hands, and an unstoppable passion for hitting quarterbacks, Barrett and Trice both display the qualities that can lead to a potential All-Pro nod for Trice.

How does he fit in with the Atlanta Falcons

Instantly, Bralen Trice will factor into the edge rushing rotation. Whether he ends up earning the starting job or is a designated pass rusher or somewhere in between for 2024, his long-term outlook is that of the starting edge defender opposite Arnold Ebiketie. Having him and DeAngelo Malone in a speed and power rotation could be a lot of fun for the Falcons and could force opposing teams to start respecting the Falcons' edge rush from that side of the ball.

Why Bralen Trice instead of Jonah Elliss or Troy Franklin or T.J. Tampa?

Bralen Trice was the second-best player available on the board behind Jonah Ellis, and the Falcons wanted more of a power rusher than a speed rusher at the No. 74 overall pick. The Falcons wanted to make sure they didn't leave the second day without an edge defender, that's why they didn't go after a wide receiver like Troy Franklin or T.J. Tampa. Trice will have a ton of fun in the Falcons' defense and could end up being a sneaky starting pick for the team from day one.

All advanced stats are courtesy Pro Football Focus or Football Outsiders. All traditional stats are courtesy of official team websites, NFLGSIS or CFB Stats. All RAS and athletic testing numbers are courtesy of DraftScout.com and Kent Lee Platte's RAS Football website.