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Bralen Trice is shown at the 2024 Sugar Bowl against Texas, having a big day. Sara Diggins / USA TODAY NETWORK

Falcons Looking to Unwrap Another Former Husky to Positive Reviews

Originally posted on Washington Huskies on SI
By Dan Raley | Last updated Feb 21, 2025 7:57 PM ET

The offseason debate continues over whether the former University of Washington football standout can step up and readily fill a valuable role for the Atlanta Falcons this coming season.

It's not Michael Penix Jr. under discussion, who's already positioned himself for great things, rather it's Bralen Trice.

Similar to Penix at first, people in the largest city of the South still don't know exactly what they have with Trice.

"Why would the Falcons rely on a player with zero snaps in the NFL?" writes Terrance Biggs of Atlanta Falcons on SI. "To go from a Day 2 draft pick [third round in 2024] to injured reserve to impact player feels like quite the herculean leap."

Yes, Trice's season-ending knee injury in training camp and his subsequent recovery is reason for concern and needs to be closely monitored.

Yet those on the inside know that the Falcons possibly outmaneuvered everyone else to pick up the 6-foot-3, 245-pound edge rusher as a third-rounder in the NFL draft when he easily could have gone much higher, and it's just a matter of time before that becomes clear.

As for that knee, Trice is such a dedicated player to his craft, he should show up to training camp as if nothing happened, that he's more than a little refreshed after taking a season off.

Atlanta Falcons can't afford to go into the offseason with the assumption they're getting 2 Impact Starters back from Injury.https://t.co/h3hXER3I7V
— Atlanta Falcons On SI (@FalconsSI) February 21, 2025

From a 14-1 UW football team that advanced to the 2024 CFP national championship game, the Falcons seemed to be more plugged into that Montlake talent base than anyone else -- on draft day, Atlanta came away with the Huskies' top offensive player in Penix and the UW's most disruptive defensive player in Trice.

Yet Penix didn't win people over until getting thrown out there as the starter and impressing everyone with his immense pocket poise and underrated arm strength.

The same should hold true for Trice, who was the defensive MVP against Texas in both the 2022 Alamo Bowl and the 2023 Sugar Bowl, and has the potential to be as good as anyone for the Falcons in coming off the edge.

On draft day last year, the Atlanta front office tried to share some of the intel it had on Trice to those who weren't necessarily listening because he didn't come out of the SEC.

"Another versatile player, tough, instinctive," Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot said on draft day. "He can play the run, he can rush the passer. Powerful, heavy-handed on the edge, and again, excellent motor, non-stop motor. Love the way he plays the game and the way he approaches the game."

With his injury and season-long absence, Trice became somewhat of a forgotten player, especially now with another draft just two months out.

However, there's a very good chance he'll be a surprise by winning a starting job and piling up sacks as projected by the people who drafted him, and the fan base will ask, "Where did this Trice come from?"

This article first appeared on Washington Huskies on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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