FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- A notorious exercise for NFL Draft pundits is to compare those coming up in the draft class with current players at their position. Player comps for short.
What's so very interesting in light of the recent news of the Falcons acquisition of pass rusher Matthew Judon -- pending a physical -- is that when it came time for Bralen Trice to receive his player comp, Judon was already linked to him.
Way back in Aug. 2023, well before Bralen Trice was drafted and in the height of Judon's ascent, CBS Sports' Ryan Wilson compared Trice's play to that of Judon's. The comparison itself has to do with the strength both players possess.
"Bralen Trice is relentless," Wilson wrote. "His primary pass-rush move, the bull rush, requires continuous effort and energy for all four quarters because it's essentially just putting the shoulder down and blowing through offensive linemen."
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see this is Judon's calling card through and through. Strength. Power. A relentless pursuit of a quarterback. If you took out Trice's name in the quote above and replaced it with Judon's, no one would bat an eye.
In the context of Trice's season-ending knee injury and the Falcons acquisition of Judon, this player comp comes full circle. The Falcons were going to be without the strength they were hoping Trice would provide in their pass rush. In response to that loss, general manager Terry Fontenot and the Falcons front office acquired the player Trice's overall play mimics the most in the eyes of analysts.
The inclusion of Judon in this defensive unit immediately elevates the expectations of the team's pass rush performance. You don't insert a four-time Pro Bowler with over 60 career sacks (32 of those sacks coming in the last two-and-a-half years) and not expect expectations to elevate. They do. And they likely do across the board, not just off the edge. Judon was voted the 33rd-best player by players in the league going into the 2023 season. His injury that season (a torn bicep) does not and should not change the level to which we can expect Judon to play. That -- in turn -- helps a Falcons defensive front as a whole, Grady Jarrett and David Onyemata in the interior included. Having Judon coming off the edge changes the way opposing offensive lines have to account for the Falcons' defensive pressure. His presence alone should do that.
And this should bode well for Atlanta.
As for what Judon's future could look like, let's wait and see how 2024 goes. Head coach Raheem Morris said Thursday morning the Falcons are not committing to a long-term deal with Judon. For context: He's on the final year of his deal with New England. Morris went on to compare this move to when the Los Angeles Rams acquired Von Miller a few years back.
"You never know what these things can turn into," Morris said, "but I know what we are getting."
And what they're getting in Judon is a powerful pass rusher who's presence elevates expectations for this defense.
