The Atlanta Falcons still don’t have an elite pass rush, but they’ve made some strides through the first 10 games of the 2023 season. With 21 total sacks, the Falcons have already matched their sack total from 2022.
In the secondary, Jessie Bates III and Jeff Okudah have helped create a formidable unit around fourth-year cornerback A.J. Terrell. Despite these improvements, though, the team is still searching for that difference-maker off the edge.
Could Atlanta add someone in the upcoming NFL draft? Currently, the Falcons are slated for the ninth overall pick, which would give them plenty of options. Assuming the team doesn’t go for a quarterback, Florida State EDGE Jared Verse is one potential option.
A new mock draft from CBS Sports has the Falcons selecting Verse in the first round:
Atlanta likes heavy-handed pass rushers who can set the edge and Jared Verse falls into that category. The Falcons have added some older veterans at the position but it is not a viable long-term solution. — Josh Edwards, CBS Sports
Defensive lineman David Onyemata and second-year linebacker Arnold Ebiketie are tied for the team lead in sacks with 3.5 each. Ebiketie was supposed to be that difference-making edge for Atlanta but he’s currently playing less than 40 percent of the team’s defensive snaps.
There’s still plenty of football to be played, and there’s no guarantee the Falcons will finish with a top-10 pick for the fourth year in a row. If they do end up in the top 10 once again, Verse is an enticing option.
The 6-foot-4, 260-pound defensive end could be a good fit in Ryan Nielsen’s system. Verse has 13.5 sacks, two fumble recoveries and two passes defended over the last two seasons for the Seminoles.
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