National Football League

Analyzing a good crop of free-agent pass rushers for the Falcons

Published Feb. 18, 2015 2:40 p.m. ET

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ATLANTA -- Unlike the shroud of mystery where most NFL teams live, the first few weeks of the Falcons' offseason has been far from secretive.

The fact that Atlanta planned to add Dan Quinn as its next head coach was one of the worst-kept secrets in the history of hiring. When it comes to team building, there's little doubt about the Falcons' first step in the draft.

The Falcons ranked 30th in the NFL last season with only 22 sacks, and getting pressure on opposing quarterbacks has been an issue for some time. Adding personnel to fix that problem has to be priority No. 1. NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock said as much during a conference call on Monday.

"I think we all know that first and foremost, they have an edge need," said Mayock about holes the Falcons needed to address. "I think it's really critical to get the edge guy at No. 8, and to get that pick right."

The 2015 draft has a decent pool of pass rushers, and there are a number of players that could fit the Falcons in the first round. Names like Vic Beasley, Shane Ray, Dante Fowler Jr. and Bud Dupree have all been linked to Atlanta's first pick.

But Atlanta needs more pass-rush help than just one player can provide. And if the Falcons want an immediate impact player, they might need to go the free-agent route in addition to using their first pick in the draft on a pass-rush specialist.

There are a number of potential free agents that could help rush the passer. Between now and March 10, when the free-agent market opens, some of the cream of the crop will get tagged by their current teams, and some will negotiate long-term deals. That list will populate over the next few weeks.

Come March 10, however, the Falcons will know who they can freely negotiate with. Here's a list of potential free-agent pass rushers:

Justin Houston, OLB -- Kansas City

What a catch Houston would be for the Falcons defense. He's the best pass-rusher in the NFL from the linebacker position, and showed as much with 22 sacks a year ago. The problem -- at least for Atlanta it's the problem -- is that Kansas City won't likely let that kind of talent leave town. Expect Houston's camp to work out a long-term deal with the Chiefs, or for Kansas City to use the franchise tag.

Jason Pierre-Paul, DE -- New York Giants

Pierre-Paul's 12.5 sacks last season are proof he can get after an opposing quarterback. But there are red flags to watch out for. In his five seasons in the league, Pierre-Paul has only notched double-digit sacks twice, and injuries have plagued the almost-26-year-old pass rusher. This high-risk, high-reward potential free agent might be too much of a risk for the Falcons, who have to get their offseason moves right this season.

Greg Hardy, DE -- Carolina

The numbers from Hardy look fantastic. He grabbed 11 quarterbacks in 2012 and 15 more in 2013. Legal troubles derailed his 2014 campaign, and could spell more trouble in 2015. The league is starting to step up its stance against players linked to domestic violence, and teams are following suit. Atlanta may choose to avoid this potential nightmare and not consider signing Hardy. But if they do take a look, it will be hard to pass on him. Hardy is arguably the best pass-rushing end in free agency, and should have a lot in the tank.

Jason Worilds, OLB -- Pittsburgh

Worilds landed in the iffy category for two simple reasons. He may not hit free agency as the Steelers don't want to let him leave, and could use the transition tag if they can't work out a deal. There's also the detractor that many of his 7.5 sacks last season came versus non-starting tackles. The last thing the Falcons need is to spend money on a pass-rusher that won't be as effective as he was the year prior.

Brian Orakpo, OLB -- Washington

According to Vaughn McClure of ESPN, Orakpo would have been a top target for the Falcons last season had he not been hit with the franchise tag. Orakpo is once again looking at impending free agency, but he's been hurt in two of the last three years, and will turn 29 during the season.

Jerry Hughes, OLB -- Buffalo

Enjoy the fact that Hughes notched 10 sacks for the second consecutive season, but drool over the fact that in the past two seasons in 769 pass-rush snaps, according to Pro Football Focus, Hughes had 120 total pressures (sacks, quarterback hits and hurries). That's top-5 level efficiency.

Brandon Graham, OLB -- Philadelphia

Graham is going to be one of those free agents that the Falcons expect to blossom once they arrive in Atlanta. While that hasn't worked out well lately, Graham could be the exception. He posted 5.5 sacks last season just 225 pass-rush snaps, and according to Pete Damilatis of Pro Football Focus, he's incredibly efficient.

Highest edge defender @PFF grade per 100 snaps, last 3 seasons: 1.Brandon Graham +4.7 2.Cam Wake +4.5 3.Justin Houston +3.5 @ChrisWesseling
— Pete Damilatis (@PFF_Pete) February 12, 2015

Pernell McPhee, OLB -- Baltimore

McPhee is another player that could blossom with more reps in a new location. That's a tough stance to take because not everyone does more with more, but McPhee notched 64 total pressures last season (second in the NFL behind Justin Houston in pass-rush productivity among outside linebackers that played 50 percent of his teams defensive snaps) in only 347 pass-rush snaps. What could he do with 500?

Derrick Morgan, OLB -- Tennessee

Forget about the fact that Morgan played three years of college football in Atlanta at Georgia Tech. What makes Morgan attractive to the Falcons is that he'll be on the field for most snaps, he's rarely hurt and could be a lower-cost pass-rushing option for a team that needs multiple players.