The Atlanta Falcons have selected former Oregon Ducks defensive end Brandon Dorlus in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Dorlus ended up playing in five seasons for the Ducks but was a staple of the Oregon defense for the last three seasons. He put up 58 total tackles during that span but exploded onto the scene as a fifth-year senior in 2023. Dorlus amassed five sacks and seven pass breakups — both marks were career highs for the Florida native.
He evolved from a run-stopper to an all-around EDGE rusher at the perfect time ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Overall, Dorlus racked up five sacks last season for the Ducks and 12 total sacks in the last five years. Coming out of Deerfield Beach High School (Deerfield Beach, Florida), he was ranked as the No. 896 prospect in America, according to the On3 Industry Rankings for the 2019 cycle.
With Dorlus’ help, the Ducks were ranked No. 1 in the Pac-12 in 2023 in total defense. In 14 games this past season, Oregon allowed a conference-low 16.5 points per game. The Oregon defense gave up 10.6 yards per game on average on the ground, but allowed just 0.7 touchdowns per outing.
What NFL analysts are saying about Brandon Dorlus
NFL analyst Lance Zierlein compared Dorlus’ skills as most closely resembling that of New York Giants linebacker Carlos Basham.
“[He is a] physical, heavy-handed defender whose pedestrian production could see an increase at the pro level. Dorlus is a fairly natural edge defender who can play standing or with a hand down. He doesn’t play with desired instincts or awareness in the run game but has the upper-body power to become a more forceful edge-setter or interior penetrator in the future. He shows an impressive ability to slide and slap his way around blockers for quick wins, even though the sack total fails to show it.
“Dorlus is a natural fit as a power end in a 4-3 or 3-4, but teams might want him to add weight and take on a role as a full-time 3-technique.”
Zierlein lists Dorlus’ strengths as being able to play a variety of alignments, jolts blockers with heavy punches, effective heavy swipes and can utilize hand and feet work in harmony to bypass blockers.
Regarding weaknesses, Dorlus has proven to struggle to build an impressive rush resume in college, plays with below-average balance and body control through contact, has inconsistent anchor techniques and can play a bit too upright at times.
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