Defensive Reemergence

The Atlanta Falcons Defense has been the lesser of the two sides of the franchise for years.

Defensive Coordinator Dean Pees touched on this in a news conference.

Pees said, “It’s not going to be mediocre. It’s not going to be average. It’s not going to be in the bottom half of the league like it’s been 15 of the last 20 years. Sick of that crap. We’ve got to take charge, and it’s not going to be anyone else to do it but us. I’m tired of everybody telling us how bad we are, because after a while you start believing it. . . . Guys around here on defense sometimes believe 15th is OK or whatever. We’ve been in the Top 10 one time out of the last 20 years.

That passion is something that Falcon's fans haven't heard or felt in many years. Pees also mentioned earlier in the off-season that he will be able to use close to the entire defensive playbook. Last year he was only able to use around 60%.

Pees has made it clear he wants his side of the ball to change the narrative. The Falcons have a mixture of younger players with some veterans looking to make this defense respectable and a strength of the team.

I take a look into this defense as Falcon's training camp has been going on and see what the biggest question marks are and which positions bring the most to look forward to.

Defensive Line/Pass Rushers

The Falcons defensive line has been the main weakness of this team as they have long been searching for an elite push rush since John Abraham. Pees utilizes a multiple-defensive scheme system, which means pass rushers will be asked to both put their hand in the ground and also stand up.

The Falcons drafted two pass rushers in second-round pick Arnold Ebiketie and third-round pick DeAngelo Malone.

So far in training camp, Ebiketie has flashed more than Malone and is expected to be impactful from day one. Ebiketie has been seen as a steal for some as he was considered a fringe first-round pick by some. Tony Pauline, of Pro Football Network, said this about Ebiketie's upside: "Undersized pass-rushing linebacker who plays with a relentless style. Breaks down well, consistently gets leverage on opponents, and keeps his feet moving. Strong, fires his hands into blockers, and knocks offensive tackles back off the line. Fast off the edge, relentless, and does not give up on plays.

Displays good change-of-direction skills, nicely flows down the line, and slides laterally to defend the run. Remains patient with assignments and does more than just mindlessly rush up the field."

Malone hasn't been a slouch either as both are using every day at camp to get better and try to be impactful for this Falcons pass rush. Both players are high motor players, which is an important trait if you want to play for Pees.

Then you have Lorenzo Carter, who is coming over in free agency from the New York Giants. Last season, Carter had five sacks, which was a career high for him in his five seasons. This is also a homecoming for Carter, who played football at Georgia, so fans are already familiar with the 26-year-old.

So far, the reports from camp are that he is the clear starter on the depth chart and is expected to lead the young guys this year.

Then also Adetokunbo Ogundeji is also looking to build off his rookie year with the team. He will be in the rotation with the other three guys and also has shown some good stuff during training camp.

The Falcons are hoping those four guys can help improve this pass rush that has lacked especially after a league low eighteen sacks last year.

(Jalen Mayfield vs Derrick Tangelo, Video by Kevin Knight Twitter; @FalconholicKevin)

Then we go into the interior of the line, which has had its fair share of injuries and retirements.

Before camp the Falcons had signed Eddie Goldman, who unexpectedly retired. He was expected to help anchor the line with Grady Jarrett but that has changed. So right now, the top three linemen are Grady, Marion Davidson, and second-year player Ta'Quan Graham, who is also looking to build off his rookie year as well.

Davidson is still looking to break out and is running out of time as he enters his third year. There is still hope he can be impactful and stay healthy for the defensive line and support Grady.

Anthony Rush also returns for another year after being signed in the middle of the season last year. One guy to keep an eye on is Derrick Tangelo, the undrafted free agent who has flashed with the opportunities he has received due to injuries on the line. He made noise off the video where he badly beat Jalen Mayfield and many Falcons reporters have mentioned him having a strong camp up to this point.

There isn't much to say about Jarrett as I expect him to have another great year and hopefully, he will have much needed help coming with him. Vincent Taylor is also out for the year and Bryce Rodgers was waived due to injury. The Falcons could still add depth to the line, so it is something to keep an eye on as the preseason progresses.

Linebackers

Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com

The Falcons have re-done the linebacker room this off-season after losing Foye Oluokun and Dion Jones status with the team being up in the air. They added former Tennessee Titan Rashaan Evans, who put up a career high in numbers under Pees previously. Evans had sixty-nine tackles and two and a half sacks.

Evans has come to Atlanta looking for similar results. He will look to be the leader of this defense and has been out there for most of the first team snaps in training camp.

Then Mykal Walker is one of two linebacker's falcon's fans are most excited about. Walker has waited patiently for his time to shine and when has played snaps has flashed on the field.

Frank Bush, linebackers coach, mentioned his growth so far, "There's a certain level of maturity that has shown up in the building this year. He physically looks the part, and he's embracing the role of trying to be the guy who can be on the field all the time."

Walker will be looked at to be an impact linebacker and we will be finally able to see the third-year player get a chance to show what he's got.

The other linebacker fans are excited about is Troy Andersen, the second-round pick ran a 4.42 40 yard dash. His speed flashes all over the field and so far, he has mainly been with the second and third teams but when he gets reps with the starters, he holds his own.

He may not start in his first year, but I could see Andersen still playing many snaps for this defense. He is one guy I will be keeping an eye on this entire preseason to see his progress and if he flashes off the screen to me.

Nick Kwiatkoski was also brought in for depth at the position and Dorian Etheridge is someone who has had a good camp and could be a sneaky linebacker pick to make the 53-man roster.

Secondary

(Photo from the Atlanta Falcons)

The secondary is the probably the strongest unit on the Falcon's defense. You have All-Pro corner, A.J. Terrell, looking to build off last season's success. Terrell became one of the best, if not the best corner in the league in his second year. Then the team added Casey Hayward who was Pro Football Focus’ 11th best corner last year. They are going to be one of the best duos in the league this year.

After that you have the returning Isaiah Oliver who is coming off a season-ending injury. Before that injury, Oliver was seeming to come into his own as the nickel corner for the team. Fans hope he can return to form as that could lead to them having a solid three corners. The team has been easing him in during training camp keeping him with the second team and not really pushing him too hard. I expect the better he feels the more his workload will ramp up.

Then you have the returning Darren Hall, the fourth-round pick from last year. He started and struggled early last year having to replace Oliver after the injury, but he appeared to improve as the season had gone on. Hall could be a solid fourth or fifth corner who can provide good depth while still developing.

( Dee Alford making a play, Video from FOX5 in Atlanta from @MilesGarrettTV on twitter)

Dee Alford has been the biggest surprise in Falcon's training camp as a former Canadian Football League standout. He has earned himself more reps and is looking like a strong candidate to make the final roster. He will be the player I watch the most in the secondary this preseason to see if he continues to standout in the secondary.

Mike Ford has been someone to keep an eye on in camp as because of Oliver not being rushed back, he has gotten more reps in camp and has held own. A candidate to take that last corner back spot and make the 53-man roster.

The group I'm most excited about is the safety group. Jaylinn Hawkins and Richie Grant are looking to become the next safety duo for the Falcons. From William Moore and Thomas Decoud to Ricardo Allen and Keanu Neal, Grant and Hawkins have real expectations to potentially be the best.

Grant, in particular, is looking to have a breakout season after a slow start his rookie year. He has been one of a few players in camp who is said to be able to cover Kyle Pitts. That's big praise with how dominant Pitts has been in camp. Hawkins too came in last year due to the injury to Eric Harris and showed some ball hawking ability. I think the secondary could be top-10 in the league in interceptions because of those two. The secondary as a whole is expected to be the strength of the whole defense.

(@AtlantaFalcons)

The Falcons defense has potential to be better than what people expect. Pees wants to lead the charge in creating that change and feels like he has the players in place to set that in motion.

The key is going to be the pass rush if they can't generate pressure it's going to be a long season.

If they can then I think the defense may be able to be the strength of this team. It will be interesting to see the development and the identity of this side of the ball throughout the season.

(Cover Photo From Atlanta Falcons)