Falcons edge rushers named team’s most important non-QB position group in 2025 by CBS Sports

When examining the most important position on an NFL team, the quarterback spot will almost always come first. Beyond that, it tends to vary. As for the Atlanta Falcons, one position group has lagged behind the rest in recent years. The team’s edge rushers have rarely gotten the job done over the last decade.

Since the 2019 season, Atlanta has never finished higher than 21st in sacks per game. The Falcons finished 30th or worse in terms of sacks recorded in three of the last six seasons. The team averaged a dreadful 1.1 sacks per contest in 2021. Last season, the Falcons finished 31st with 31 total sacks.

This is what prompted CBS Sports’ Jared Dubin to list Atlanta’s two rookie edge rushers as the team’s most important non-QB players in 2025.

“The Falcons haven’t had a good pass rush since approximately 1952, and they weren’t even founded until 1966. It’s unfair to put the burden of years of failure on a pair of rookies, but the Falcons invested so much in them (especially Pearce, for whom they traded up and gave away their 2026 first rounder) that it almost has to work out right away for the investment to pay off,” wrote Dubin.

Getting to the quarterback is easier said than done, and sometimes you manage to get a hit without getting a sack. Regardless of whom has lined up in recent seasons, the Falcons have been unable to do much in the way of creating pressure.

This is why the team doubled up in the first round, at the cost of next year’s first-round pick, because the need is dire. While the trade to get James Pearce Jr. was heavily criticized by experts, there is somewhat of a lack of awareness on just how bad this group has been.

While Jalon Walker was the team’s first selection in the draft, whatever Pearce does will carry extra weight given what the team gave up for him. While they both may not start day one, unless they explode in the preseason, this shouldn’t prevent either rookie from getting key reps early on and making an impact.

Ultimately, the Falcons needed to make a splash, and we’ll have to wait a few months to see if it pays off.