Albert Breer links Falcons to Mike Green, James Pearce Jr.

Whether it’s a defensive lineman or a defensive back, the Falcons should come away from Thursday’s first round with an impact defender. The overwhelming expectation is that it will be a pass rusher, and Albert Breer has linked the club to two edge rushers in particular.

“One of the more widely accepted ideas in the first round is that Atlanta is coming out of the first round with an edge rusher, after trading for Matthew Judon last summer (he’s still a free agent) and signing Leonard Floyd in March. Williams might be a consideration if he makes it here, but the two names I’ve heard more consistently linked to Atlanta in this spot are Marshall’s Mike Green and Tennessee’s James Pearce Jr. Both have character flags that the Falcons have to weigh.”

Green has been heavily linked to Atlanta during the entire draft process, and it’s not hard to see why. The Falcons have been the worst pass rushing team in the last five years, 10 years, and 20 years, while Green led the country in sacks this past season. There might be questions about his competition level at Marshall, but he quickly put those to bed at the Senior Bowl where he dominated Power 4 competition.

Pearce, on the other hand, hasn’t been connected to the Falcons as much. At the beginning of the season, Pearce was in the conversation for the top overall pick because he’s got the production and talent to bode. However, much like Mike Green, off-the-field issues have impacted his stock.

The Falcons have placed a ton of emphasis on the “ethos” of prospects. Terry Fontenot and Raheem Morris have talked about the person they drafted as much as the player, but at a certain point, they have to take a chance, right?

They passed on Jalen Carter because of off-the-field concerns in favor of Bijan Robinson, who could be a choir boy in another lifetime. Would the Falcons do it again if one of these prospects fell to them at pick #15?