FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — There are few guarantees in life, but questions about the Falcons' pass rush have become one of them.

The season began in similar fashion, with the Falcons ranking at the bottom of the league in sacks and pressures through the first half of the year. However, both of those statistics picked up in the latter part of the season. Still, Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot was questioned about the inconsistency in pass rush in his postseason press conference Thursday.

"We have pressure players, we have to add to that," Fontenot said. "We showed ability, we showed improvement in that area, but that definitely needs to be an area that we continue to improve."

Atlanta ranked last in the league with 15 sacks through the first 11 weeks of the season. After the bye week, the Falcons rose significantly, tying for second in the league during that time with 21 sacks in the final six games of the year.

Fontenot noted two players when asked about the pass rush — outside linebacker Arnold Ebiketie and inside linebacker Kaden Elliss. Ebiketie led the team in sacks (6), while Elliss led in quarterback hits (16). Ebiketie recorded five of his six sacks after the bye; Elliss compiled four of his five total sacks in that same timeframe, too.

Falcons head coach Raheem Morris also named Elliss when asked about the defense moving forward.

Identify the core group, develop players in the building and continue to improve through draft and free agency, that's the typical recipe for teams, and it's no different for the Falcons.

Atlanta holds the No. 15 overall draft pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Fontenot said there's a possibility they could trade down and pick up more draft capital. The Falcons also have a second-round, fourth-round and two seventh-round picks.

Last year, the Falcons drafted edge rusher Bralen Trice plus defensive linemen Ruke Orhorhoro and Brandon Dorlus on Day 2 and 3. Orhorhoro and Dorlus played a combined 10 games, while Trice sustained a season-ending ACL injury during the preseason. In past years, the Falcons utilized a No. 15-type pick to draft pillars of the organization, like cornerback A.J. Terrell (No. 16 overall, 2020) or offensive lineman Chris Lindstrom (No. 14 overall, 2019).

While the last few NFL Drafts were quarterback and offense-heavy, this upcoming one tips toward the defense. It's still early, with the college football season still underway, but latest mock drafts project more than half of the top 20 picks will be defensive players.

Free agency, of course, is another avenue to improve the pass rush. After Trice went down, the Falcons traded for Matthew Judon, sending a 2025 fifth-round pick to the New England Patriots in August. Judon finished the 2024 season second in sacks with 5.5 on the season, but that was well below his 17-game average of 9.3 sacks throughout his career.

Judon isn't the only defensive player Fontenot and the Falcons will have to make a decision on. Seven defensive linemen and outside linebackers will be unrestricted free agents, including Judon, Lorenzo Carter and James Smith-Williams.

All three were significant players on the outside. Carter and Judon started the majority of the games as opposite rushers — Carter started 11 games and appeared in 13 and Judon started 15 games and played in all 17. Smith-Williams emerged as a key role player in training camp and started five of his 10 appearances before he was placed on injured reserve prior to the bye week in November.

Carter recorded 32 tackles, two tackles for loss, no sacks but two quarterback hits. Along with Judon's 5.5 sacks, he added 41 tackles, seven for a loss and nine quarterback hits. Smith-Williams totaled 24 tackles, seven for a loss and one sack.

There are several options on the open market for the Falcons to consider. Here are some of the top edge players who will be available:

• Khalil Mack, Los Angeles Chargers
• Josh Sweat, Philadelphia Eagles
• Haason Reddick, New York Jets
• Malcolm Koonce, Las Vegas Raiders
• Baron Browning, Arizona Cardinals
• Dayo Odeyingbo, Indianapolis Colts
• Chase Young, New Orleans Saints

As of right now, without any moves made, the Falcons have about $4 million cap space to work with, according to OverTheCap.

Fontenot and company will have decisions to make in the offseason, but the goal is to build a consistent, winning product.

"There's a lot of vision of this team (in) what we want it to be," Fontenot said. "There are positives in a number of areas, but ultimately we haven't won enough, and that's what we have to do."