Safeties Xavier Watts and Billy Bowman Jr. were chosen in the third and fourth rounds, respectively.

After the installation of the defense over the offseason, Ulbrich will bring the new blended concepts together before the Falcons open the season against Tampa Bay on Sept. 7 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

“I think they all recognize and acknowledge we (have) a lot of work to do, but we’ve got a committed group that’s built in the right way,” Ulbrich said. “It’s going to be fun, it’s going to be hard, it’s going to be challenging. There’s going to be really hard days, but I’m excited to get started with these guys.”

After playing 10 seasons (2000-09) at linebacker in the NFL, Ulbrich became a coach. (He played in 120 games and made 75 starts). He started as an assistant special-teams coach with Seattle (2010-11).

At UCLA, he was the linebackers coach and special-teams coordinator from 2012-14 before joining the Falcons the following season. His stint at UCLA was particularly impressive, as he helped to develop three future NFL linebackers in Anthony Barr, Eric Kendricks and Myles Jack. All went on to play more than 100 games in the NFL.

Barr, who went to four Pro Bowls, was selected in the first round by the Vikings in 2014. Kendricks finished his career as UCLA’s all-time tackles leader and was drafted in the second round in 2015 and Jack was taken in the second round in 2016.

Ulbrich was instrumental in their development, particularly Barr, who was converted from an H-back to a linebacker. Barr turned into one of the top pass rushers in college football over his career and was a consensus All-American in 2013.

Barr went on to play 10 seasons in the NFL.

ExploreRead more about the Falcons

Ulbrich’s next stop was with the Falcons. He helped to develop linebackers Deion Jones, De’Vondre Campbell, Foye Oluokun and Mykal Walker.

What was notable is that Campbell, Oluokun and Walker were mid-round draft picks.

Jones, who was taken in the second round, started as a rookie and helped the Falcons reach the Super Bowl following the 2016 season. He was named to the Pro Bowl his second season, but he never returned to a high level of play after suffering a foot injury in the 2018 season opener.

Campbell went on to become an All-Pro player in 2021 with the Packers, while Oluokun, a sixth-round pick from Yale, went on to lead the league in tackles twice, in 2021 with the Falcons (192 tackles) and in 2022 with the Jaguars (186 tackles).

The Falcons are hoping that Ulbrich can duplicate that developmental success with Walker and Pearce.

After Quinn was fired, Ulbrich joined coach Robert Saleh’s staff with the Jets for the 2021 season, where he remained for four seasons. He finished last season as the interim coach after Saleh was fired.

Ulbrich’s first defense with the Jets in 2021 finished 32nd in the NFL in fewest points and yards allowed. The Jets jumped to fourth in yards and points allowed in 2022. They finished 12th in points and third in yards allowed in 2023 and 20th in points and third in yards allowed in 2024.

“I’ve learned a lot from (my coaching experience),” Ulbrich said. “Not just in evaluation, but in every facet of this business. I think the biggest part that I translated to the evaluation process was, as an assistant prior to becoming the head coach there, I always felt like it was my duty to give my opinion, but to also, like, be very supportive of his (Saleh) opinion.”

His New York experience has shaped Ulbrich’s outlook, which helped lead to the selection of Jalon Walker and Pearce.

“I want people (who) don’t ride the fence,” Ulbrich said. “I want you to tell me you like it like this or like it like (that). I want decisions, and then I’ll make a decision at that point. You’d obviously have to ask (general manager) Terry (Fontenot) and (Morris), but like I felt like I was more convicted and there was no fence-riding. This is the vision. I either want them or I don’t. Hopefully, that clarity helped everybody.”

AJC columnist Ken Sugiura contributed to this article.