"Hand, coming off a career-high 13 starts, is ticketed as at least a partial replacement for David Onyemata. I say "at least partial" both because Williams will likely factor in there and because the Falcons still could look at the draft for further help; Onyemata played well enough last year that it's not going to be easy to cheaply replace him."
"In 2025, Hand also generated the second-highest pressure total of his career and would have been fourth on the Falcons with 13 stops; he's not often a threat as a pass rusher but can be on occasion. The quality run defense alone makes him worth signing, given Atlanta's struggles up front in that regard in 2025."
The Falcons have prioritized building their defensive trenches through free agency signings. After adding edge rushers Samson Ebukam, Azeez Ojulari, and Cameron Thomas, plus defensive linemen LaCale London and Chris Williams, the team signed Da'Shawn Hand to address run defense needs. Hand, coming off a career-high 13 starts, serves as at least a partial replacement for David Onyemata. In 2025, Hand generated the second-highest pressure total of his career and recorded 13 stops, which would have ranked fourth on the Falcons. While not primarily a pass rusher, Hand provides size, strength, and reliable run defense capabilities that the Falcons need to build on their defensive improvements.
Read at The Falcoholic
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]