The Atlanta Falcons signed second-round draft pick Arnold Ebiketie on Thursday. A standout at Penn State, Ebiketie is expected to compete for a starting job at outside linebacker this season after the Falcons traded up to pick No. 38 to acquire him back in April.
Ebiketie had 9.5 sacks, 18 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles for the Nittany Lions last season. Atlanta released Dante Fowler Jr. and let Steven Means walk during free agency, freeing up both starting OLB spots.
Ebiketie’s elite athleticism was one of his biggest draws coming out of college.
Arnold Ebiketie was drafted with pick 38 of round 2 in the 2022 draft class. He scored a 8.9 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 166 out of 1503 DE from 1987 to 2022. https://t.co/iouxCLm3gE #RAS #Falcons pic.twitter.com/34bLbXHrVd
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 29, 2022
“Ebiketie transferred from Temple to Penn State and proved his 2020 production was no fluke, wrote Pro Football Focus. “He beat up on quality tackles en route to a 90.5 pass-rushing grade and 52 pressures.”
The Falcons signed Lorenzo Carter, who’s expected to start at the other outside linebacker spot this season. Atlanta also drafted EDGE DeAngelo Malone out of Western Kentucky in the third round.
