The front seven of the Atlanta Falcons defense should look much different in 2025. Leonard Floyd has replaced Matthew Judon on the edge, defensive lineman Morgan Fox has taken over for Grady Jarrett and linebacker Divine Deablo should help fill in for Lorenzo Carter.
Whether or not these changes work out for Atlanta is anyone's guess but the team will likely add another front-seven defender in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft. The Falcons must find a way to improve their pass rush after finishing 31st in the league with 31 sacks last season.
This year's draft class has plenty of talented edge rushers, but which are the best fit in Atlanta?
Pro Football Focus identified two potential edge prospects for the Falcons, one Day 1 option and another on Day 3. In the first round, PFF suggested Boston College Donovan Ezeiruaku.
"The Atlanta Falcons finished near the bottom of the league with a 59.0 team pass-rush grade, tied for second-worst in the NFL. Donovan Ezeiruaku could help change that right away — he recorded 14 sacks, 20 quarterback hits and 26 hurries on 428 pass-rushing snaps in 2024," wrote Jordan Plocher.
As for PFF's Day 3 suggestion, Plocher named UCLA's Oluwafemi Oladejo. "On Day 3, the Falcons could target a developmental option like Oladejo, who primarily played off-ball linebacker in college but offers intriguing upside as a long, athletic edge defender."
The Falcons only have five picks in the 2025 NFL draft, including two in the seventh round. Unless the team trades down, as we did our latest mock draft, Atlanta may have trouble finding difference-making talent outside of Round 1.
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Atlanta Falcons: PFF names two perfect EDGE targets in NFL draft
