It seemed once as if the Falcons finally had a good defense. That turned out to be a fleeting moment. The group now ranks bottom 10 in the NFL in nearly every statistical category. The Falcons could use help from one of the draft prospects they passed over with the No. 8 pick in favor of one who hasn’t played a meaningful snap this season.
The Falcons have a long-term plan for Michael Penix Jr. to succeed quarterback Kirk Cousins. Meanwhile, rookie outside linebacker Jared Verse is giving the Rams what the Falcons desperately need right now.
Verse has been a more productive pass rusher than any Falcons defender. He’s been good against the run, too. According to the analysts at Pro Football Focus, who grade every snap, Verse has been one of the better all-around defenders in the NFL after he was a two-time All-American at Florida State.
PFF has awarded three players with grades of 80 or better against both run and pass. The others are Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt and Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence. Oddsmakers have Watt as a heavy favorite to win his second Defensive Player of the Year award. Verse likely will be the runaway winner of the Defensive Rookie of the Year award.
The Rams selected Verse with the No. 19 pick in the draft. He and every other defensive prospect were available when the Falcons picked at No. 8. They decided Penix was the best player available. The Falcons drafted him even though they recently had signed the best available QB in free agency. Penix has played 20 snaps during garbage time as understudy to Cousins.
Verse has played 77% of the defensive snaps over 10 games for the Rams. He’s compiled 4.5 sacks, 11 tackles for loss, 14 QB hits and two forced fumbles. Grady Jarrett leads the Falcons with 2.5 sacks and nine QB hits, and James Smith-Williams is the tackles-for-loss leader with seven. Falcons pass rushers have yet to record a forced fumble.
Verse ranks tied for eighth with 49ers star Nick Bosa in pass-rush win rate (defined by ESPN tracking data as beating a block in 2.5 seconds or less). Verse ranks tied for fourth among edge defenders in run-stop win rate. Pro Football Reference credits Verse with 24 QB pressures. That’s tied with Chiefs All-Pro Chris Jones for ninth most among players with at least 300 snaps played.
Kaden Elliss leads the Falcons with 13 QB pressures, tied for 50th most among defenders with 300 snaps or more played. No Falcons player ranks among the top 20 in pass-rush win rate or run-stop win rate. The lack of individual production helps to explain why the Falcons are regressing on defense.
They rank 25th among 32 NFL teams in points allowed per game (24.9). Only seven teams have allowed more touchdowns per drive. The Falcons rank last in the league for sacks per pass attempt, 30th in QB pressure percentage, 28th in pass-rush win rate and 28th in run-stop win rate. The Falcons are tied for 20th with 10 takeaways.
The Falcons did get around to addressing their defense in this year’s draft. After taking Penix with the No. 8 pick, they selected defenders in each of the next four rounds. But those players haven’t provided much production as rookies. The Falcons also haven’t developed a good starter among the defenders that general manager Terry Fontenot drafted from 2021-23.
Injuries have limited Falcons rookies Ruke Orhorhoro (second-round pick) to only four games and Bralen Trice (third). Orhorhoro was placed on injured reserve on Nov. 1. Trice suffered a torn ACL in August. It’s possible that Orhorhoro or Trice would be making a similar impact as Verse if not for their injuries. It’s not likely given their relative draft positions and Verse’s emergence as one of the better defenders in the NFL.
The Falcons decided to take Penix with their highest pick. He’s probably the most talented backup QB in the NFL. Penix might be a future star. But Verse already looks like a star. He certainly could help the Falcons right now.
About the Author
