Ruke and Penix do good work, while Bertrand lands as a pass rusher.
The Atlanta Falcons did not win on Sunday night, and inevitably many fans are already thinking about 2025. If that’s going to be a better year, the team is going to need to count on young contributors who have been quiet most of the year in addition to the inevitable acquiring of new talent.
On that front, Week 17 brought good things for Michael Penix, Ruke Orhorhoro, and JD Bertrand, all of whom look set to have real roles next season. Let’s talk rookie report.
QB Michael Penix
In his second game, Penix looked more like a rookie at times, missing throws downfield he’ll really need to hit more consistently. For all that, he also showed superior pocket presence and movement, delivered some really sharp balls, and engineered a thrilling late drive to tie the game up and give the Falcons a shot at overtime, a drive where he threw a terrific fourth down ball to Drake London and then an impossible-seeming one threaded to Kyle Pitts on fourth down in the end zone. There will be stretches of inconsistent accuracy, but Penix looks like he has the steady nature and decision-making that the Falcons were looking for.
DL Ruke Orhorhoro
He’s improving at the end of the year, the kind of positive momentum we wanted to see given that Orhorhoro should have a major role in 2024. Active and disruptive for long stretches in his 23 snaps, Orhorhoro tabulated a hurry and a half tackle, but it’s the way he moves people around at this early stage of his career despite missing significant time with injury and being considered fairly raw that makes me excited for his potential.
OLB Bralen Trice
With the Falcons pass rush finding its way a bit, Trice is going to be a welcome addition to this group in 2025.
DL Brandon Dorlus
Still not playing, and likely will not appear in the season finale. The Falcons have talked about how much they like Dorlus and he’s played fairly well in his limited looks, but the real role is coming in 2025 after the Falcons likely shed some older players.
LB JD Bertrand
I’d argue for this being Bertrand’s best game as a pro. Used as a pass rusher and with the Falcons doing a good job of getting him open lanes, Bertrand was able to harass Jayden Daniels early in particular, earning a sack, a pair of hurries, and a run stop along the way. The utility as a blitzer is intriguing for Bertrand, who may go into 2024 with a slightly larger role depending on whether the Falcons pursue needed upgrades at inside linebacker.
RB Jase McClellan
He’s on injured reserve, and even when he returns in 2025, his role as the likely third fiddle to Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier will be small.
WR Casey Washington
No Washington this week. If he’s going to have any kind of a real role in this receiving corps, it’ll come in 2025, where he won’t be buried on the depth chart.