With just a couple weeks to go before the Atlanta Falcons begin training camp, the player getting the most buzz is… *checks notes* defensive tackle Brandon Dorlus. The former fourth-round pick out of Oregon came on strong last season after an underwhelming rookie year.
However, since Dorlus plays for the Falcons, few outside of Atlanta seem to be aware of his accomplishments. The third-year defensive lineman has been featured on multiple “breakout candidates” lists from the media recently. ESPN put him on their list for the Falcons last week.
On Monday, Josh Kendall of The Athletic listed Dorlus as Atlanta’s “breakout player to watch” for the 2026 NFL season.
“Dorlus had six sacks and 22 quarterback pressures in his final eight games last season,” wrote Kendall. “It was the type of jump the Falcons had been hoping for when they picked him in the fourth round in 2024, but it looked like it might never come. He only played 19 snaps as a rookie and then totaled 1.5 sacks in his first seven games last year. The Falcons traded his close friend and linemate Ruke Orhorhoro in the offseason but added more beef around him up front, ostensibly freeing him up to chase the quarterback even more this season.”
For the season Dorlus finished with 8.5 sacks, 11 quarterback hits and 11 tackles for a loss to go with 14 pressures and just one missed tackle.
Getting the kind of pass-rushing production from Dorlus that the Falcons did was a big reason why they finished first in the NFC in sacks last year.
Dorlus is now at the top of the Falcons’ depth chart for their interior defensive line rotation. Unfortunately, after him the rest of this group drops off pretty steeply. Grady Jarrett and David Onyemata are now long gone, and nobody else outside of Dorlus has stepped up for this unit in their absence.
Looking ahead, Matt Ryan should be intending to target a strong interior defensive line prospect early in the 2027 NFL Draft, or perhaps even earlier if a good name appears to be available as the trade deadline approaches.
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Falcons DT earns more breakout buzz for 2026 NFL season
About the Author
