Falcons should sign former Georgia LB after Jalon Walker injury

The Atlanta Falcons are in desperate need of some pass rush help. Atlanta star edge rusher Jalon Walker, a former first-round pick from the University of Georgia, recently suffered a torn ACL and will miss the 2026 NFL season.

Walker’s injury is not the only factor hurting the Falcons’ pass rush. Atlanta defensive end James Pearce faces a suspension after an offseason arrest and could miss about half of the season.

The Falcons have Bralen Trice, Cameron Thomas, Azeez Ojulari and Samson Ebukam as pass rushers, but none of them have ever posted a 10-sack season. Atlanta would be smart to bring in former Georgia Bulldogs defensive end Leonard Floyd, who played with Atlanta in 2025. Floyd is a durable NFL veteran with 70 career sacks.

Last season, Floyd posted 19 tackles and 3 1/2 sacks for the Falcons in 15 games. His 2025 season represented a decline in his usual production. Floyd will be 34 when the regular season kicks off, but has familiarity with the Falcons’ system. His return is certainly something the Falcons should be looking into.

Jalon Walker’s injury was a brutal blow to Atlanta’s postseason hopes. Georgia coach Kirby Smart spoke with Walker following his injury.

“Just heartfelt for him and his family,” Smart said. “He’s such a great leader and a great person. I think Jalon (Walker) is better than anybody in this room or probably anybody on our team at understanding what football is. He’s seen it.

“He is an ultimate optimist. I’ll guarantee you he’s got the best attitude and the smile on his face today because he’s got a mom and dad that are just tremendous. Jalon Walker’s not defined by football. He’s defined by a lot greater things than that. He’ll probably be a great asset for the community while he’s out. He’ll come back twice as strong as he was because that’s the outlook he has.”

It is good to hear that Walker is in good spirits following his injury. However, the Falcons do probably need to make a move to address their pass rush and signing NFL veteran defensive end Cameron Sample (seven career sacks) is probably not going to make too much of a difference for Atlanta’s pass rush.

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This article originally appeared on UGA Wire: Falcons should sign former Georgia LB after Jalon Walker injury