FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — After the Atlanta Falcons drafted two pass rushers in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, questions began to swirl about how impactful Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. could realistically be in their rookie year.
In order to address those questions, Falcons digital team reporter Terrin Waack pulled the last five years of first-round draft picks who fell under the position umbrellas of either a linebacker or defensive lineman to see their sack counts since joining the league.
Every team operates its defense and constructs its roster differently. That's why, for simplicity sake, everyone up front and not in the secondary was taken into account for this study.
Below are the tables compiled.
2024
Falcons' first round pick: No. 8 | QB Michael Penix Jr.
Falcons' pass rush: No. 31 | 31 sacks
Falcons' top pass rusher: OLB Arnold Ebiketie | 6 sacks
| Pick | Team | Player | Sacks Y1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. 15 | IND | Laiatu Latu | 4 |
| No. 16 | SEA | Byron Murphy | 0.5 |
| No. 17 | MIN | Dallas Turner | 3 |
| No. 19 | LAR | Jared Verse | 4.5 |
| No. 21 | MIA | Chop Robinson | 6 |
| No. 27 | ARI | Darius Robinson | 1 |
2023
Falcons' first round pick: No. 8 | RB Bijan Robinson
Falcons' pass rush: No. 21 | 42 sacks
Falcons' top pass rusher: DE Calais Campbell and OLB Bud Dupree | 6.5 sacks
| Pick | Team | Player | Sacks Y1 | Sacks Y2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 3 | HOU | Will Anderson | 7 | 11 |
| No. 7 | LVR | Tyree Wilson | 3.5 | 4.5 |
| No. 9 | PHI | Jalen Carter | 6 | 4.5 |
| No. 13 | GNB | Lukas Van Ness | 4 | 3 |
| No. 15 | NYJ | Will McDonald | 3 | 10.5 |
| No. 18 | DET | Jack Campbell | 2 | 1.5 |
| No. 26 | DAL | Mazi Smith | 1 | 1 |
| No. 28 | CIN | Myles Murphy | 3 | 0 |
| No. 29 | NOR | Bryan Bresee | 4.5 | 7.5 |
| No. 30 | PHI | Nolan Smith | 1 | 6.5 |
| No. 31 | KAN | Felix Anudike-Uzomah | 0.5 | 2.5 |
2022
Falcons' first round pick: No. 8 | WR Drake London*
Falcons' total sacks: No. 31 | 21 sacks
Falcons' top pass rusher: DT Grady Jarrett | 6 sacks
*notes player whose fifth-year option was picked up.
| Pick | Team | Player | Sacks Y1 | Sacks Y2 | Sacks Y3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 1 | JAX | Travon Walker* | 3.5 | 10 | 10.5 |
| No. 2 | DET | Aidan Hutchinson* | 9.5 | 11.5 | 7.5 |
| No. 5 | NYG | Kayvon Thibodeaux* | 4 | 11.5 | 5.5 |
| No. 13 | PHI | Jordan Davis* | 0 | 2.5 | 1 |
| No. 22 | GNB | Quay Walker | 1.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 |
| No. 26 | NYJ | Jermaine Johnson II* | 2.5 | 7.5 | 0 |
| No. 27 | JAX | Devin Loyd | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| No. 28 | GNB | Devonte Wyatt* | 1.5 | 5.5 | 5 |
| No. 30 | KAN | George Karlafitis III* | 6 | 10.5 | 8 |
2021
Falcons' first round pick: No. 4 | TE Kyle Pitts*
Falcons' total sacks: No. 32 | 18 sacks
Falcons' top pass rusher: OLB Dante Fowler | 4.5 sacks
*notes player whose fifth-year option was picked up.
| Pick | Team | Player | Sacks Y1 | Sacks Y2 | Sacks Y3 | Sacks Y4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 12 | DAL | Micah Parsons* | 13 | 13.5 | 14 | 12 |
| No. 16 | ARI | Zaven Collins | 0 | 2 | 3.5 | 5 |
| No. 18 | MIA | Jealan Phillips* | 8.5 | 7 | 6.5 | 1 |
| No. 19 | WAS | Jamin Davis | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| No. 21 | IND | Kwity Paye* | 4 | 6 | 8.5 | 8 |
| No. 28 | NOR | Payton Turner | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| No. 30 | BUF | Gregory Rousseau* | 4 | 8 | 5 | 8 |
| No. 31 | BAL | Odafe Oweh* | 5 | 3 | 5 | 10 |
| No. 32 | TAM | Joe Tryon-Shoyinka | 4 | 4 | 5 | 2 |
2020
Falcons' first round pick: No. 16 | CB AJ Terrell*
Falcons' total sacks: No. 23 | 29 sacks
Falcons' top pass rusher: OLB Deion Jones | 4.5 sacks
*notes player whose fifth-year option was picked up.
| Pick | Team | Player | Sacks Y1 | Sacks Y2 | Sacks Y3 | Sacks Y4 | Sacks Y5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 2 | WAS | Chase Young | 7.5 | 1.5 | 0 | 7.5 | 5.5 |
| No. 7 | CAR | Derrick Brown* | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| No. 8 | ARI | Isaiah Simmons | 2 | 1.5 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| No. 14 | SFO | Javon Kinlaw | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 3.5 | 4.5 |
| No. 20 | JAX | K'Lavon Chaisson | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| No. 23 | LAC | Kenneth Murray | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3.5 |
| No. 27 | SEA | Jordyn Brooks | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4.5 | 3 |
| No. 28 | BAL | Patrick Queen | 3 | 2 | 5 | 3.5 | 1 |
