What Are the 2026 Falcons Going to Do at Edge Now?
Training camp has been off to a rather miserable start for the fans in Flowery Branch. From having both potential starting quarterbacks sidelined with injury to start camp to one of their young edge rushers tearing his ACL during practice, it has been a trying time for Falcons faithful. Not to mention the grumblings of a looming suspension for their other young edge rusher, now Atlanta finds itself in a problematic situation. With both of their first-round pass rushers more than likely missing the first few weeks of the season, do the Falcons have a backup plan at edge?
As mentioned previously, former Georgia Bulldog and 15th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft Jalon Walker suffered a torn ACL during practice and will miss the entire 2026 season. A tough blow for Walker and the team, as he’ll miss what could have been a strong sophomore campaign for the young edge rusher. A huge loss in both the run and pass game, and now the Falcons will have to deal with his loss and the potential suspension of his teammate and fellow 2025 first-round pick James Pearce for the start of the regular season. There is now a pretty substantial hole at edge for Atlanta, and it is possible that they could look within the confines of their own building to find suitable replacements.
One interior name that has been making rounds as a substitute for both Walker and Pearce is 2026 sixth-round pick Harold Perkins. The former LSU prospect mostly played linebacker during his time in Baton Rouge, but his unique skillset and athleticism had him line up on the outside tackles occasionally during his collegiate career. Perkins has already been seen taking first-team reps at outside linebacker, so it would seem that the coaches have some kind of plan to implement the young linebacker into their defensive scheme. Former 2024 third-round pick Bralen Trice is another in-house name to look out for to pick up the missing snaps at edge. Trice missed both his rookie and sophomore years with a significant injury he suffered during the 2024 preseason. It has been over 700 days since the now 25-year-old stepped onto the field, and he has massive shoes to fill. A true mystery component for the defense, there is no telling how well Trice will play, but the spotlight has been thrust upon him and Perkins to replace the production of both Walker and Pearce.
There is still some talent out in free agency that can still be signed before the team takes its first regular-season snap. The easiest option is to bring back Leonard Floyd, who was a productive rotational player on the defensive line for the Falcons the year prior. Another rotational piece they can add is Derek Barnett. Barnett spent his 2025 season as a backup edge rusher on a lethal Houston Texans defense. If they want to hunt for bigger fish, names like Kyle Van Noy, Haasan Reddick, and Joey Bosa are still available on the market as well. Bosa is more than likely going to a team that’s more ready to contend, and Reddick is a very polarizing player, to say the least. The former Pro Bowl edge has a combined three-and-a-half sacks over the past two years after getting All-Pro nods in 2022 with the Eagles. Van Noy can play both an on-ball and off-ball linebacker role, but is one of the older players in the market. The options are there, but their current pass-rushing room adds reason why the media is so low on the Falcons coming into the 2026 regular season. It seems like with every step forward, there are always two massive steps back that keep the Dirty Birds in the place they are today. Now, they must scramble to answer a new question as the regular season creeps closer and closer.
