In the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft, the Atlanta Falcons threw a curveball and traded up with the New York Giants.
They sent their No. 43 and 114 picks to the Giants in order to snag Penn State edge Arnold Ebiketie a No. 38 overall.
🚨 TRADE 🚨
We have traded the 43rd and 114th pick to the Giants for the 38th pick.
The Falcons were initially projected to trade up for a quarterback, specifically Malik Willis, but went with the defensive side of the ball, which is one of many glaring needs on Atlanta’s roster.
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Falcons Land the ‘Doctor Of Pass Rush’
Can’t pronounce Arnold’s last name correctly? No problem. You can just call him “Dr.”, aka the ‘doctor of pass rush,’ which is what he goes by according to NFL Network’s Andrew Siciliano.
For the record, it’s Dr. Arnold Ebiketie. He told me last week on @nflnetwork that he’s a ‘doctor of pass rush”.
Ebiketie is a 6-4, 235-pound defensive end from Kensington, MD. He spent the first four years of his collegiate career a Temple University before transferring to Penn State for his final year of eligibility.
In one season as a Nittany Lion, he finished second in the Big Ten in tackles for loss with 18 and third in sacks with 9.5. He also earned second-team All-America honors.
Ebiketie was projected to be the seventh-best player available on day 2, per NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah. Below is his scouting report:
Ebiketie is a long, twitched-up edge rusher with a nonstop motor. He has an explosive get-off and routinely rocks offensive tackles with the power in his hands. He charges upfield before powering through the outside shoulder. He also has a violent swipe move and will occasionally cross the face of the tackle with a nifty inside counter move. He can really corner and finish at the top of his rush. He isn’t as dominant against the run, however. He ducks his head too often and gets washed by OTs and TEs. He lacks ideal block awareness, too. Still, the effort is always there to hustle and chase from the back side. Overall, Ebiketie is a gifted rusher who should rack up pressures/sacks while he learns to play the run with more consistency.
He’ll jump right into a starting role on a Falcons defense that managed a league-low 18 sacks last year.
Falcons 2022 NFL Draft Picks
After drafting wide receiver Drake London out of Southern California in round 1 at No. 8 overall and trading No. 43 overall to the Giants, the Falcons have a total of six draft picks remaining in the 2022 NFL Draft:
Round 1 – Pick 8 (8 overall): USC WR Drake London
Round 2 – Pick 11 (43 overall): traded to the New York Giants
Round 2-Pick 7 (38 overall): PSU DE Arnold Ebiketie
Round 2 – Pick 26 (58 overall) from the Tennessee Titans
Round 3 – Pick 10 (74 overall)
Round 3 – Pick 18 (82 overall) from the Indianapolis Colts
Round 4 – Pick 9 (114 overall): traded to the New York Giants
Round 5 – Pick 8 (151 overall)
Round 6 – Pick 11 (190 overall)
Round 6 – Pick 35 (213 overall)
The Falcons acquired No. 58 overall in the second round from their Julio Jones trade with the Tennesee Titans last offseason and No. 82 overall after sending longtime quarterback Matt Ryan to Indy.
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