PFF Grades: Arnold Ebiketie led all players, James Pearce led all rookies in Falcons’ preseason opener.
The Atlanta Falcons‘ preseason opener was suspended following an injury to Detroit Lions safety Morice Norris, but there was a lot to be learned in the three quarters of football that we did see on Friday night. The Falcons played all of their rookies, and the early results were promising.
James Pearce Jr. and Ruke Orhorhoro tied for the team lead in pressures with three apiece. Pearce led Atlanta’s five-player draft class with a Pro Football Focus grade of 75.1, while former second-round pick Arnold Ebiketie led all players with a grade of 94.6.
Second-year defensive lineman Brandon Dorlus earned the second-highest grade in Friday’s opener with an impressive 92.2. Wide receiver Chris Blair was the highest-graded offensive player (91.3 overall), while linebacker Josh Woods was the fourth player with an elite PFF grade (91.4).
Check out the 10 highest-graded Falcons players from their preseason matchup against Detroit. Plus, the team’s rookie grades can be found below.
PFF grades: Ebiketie, Dorlus earn top marksDE Arnold Ebiketie: 94.6DL Brandon Dorlus: 92.2WR Chris Blair: 91.3LB Josh Woods: 91.2WR Nick Nash: 82.1OL Kyle Hinton: 80.5DE Khalid Kareem: 76.1QB Easton Stick: 75.4DE James Pearce Jr.: 75.1DL Ta’Quon Graham: 73.6OL Elijah Wilkinson: 71.8WR Dylan Drummond: 70.6Falcons rookie class grades vs. LionsJames Pearce Jr.: 75.1Jalon Walker: 66.9Billy Bowman: 59.7 (ST grade: 91.5)Xavier Watts: 57.3Jack Nelson: 59.3