‘He was always that guy:’ How the Falcons found value three times in Ruke Orhorhoro

The character’s makeup only adds to Orhorhoro’s looks and acting, which is always one of the first things to catch people’s attention.

Take Orhorhoro’s new coach, Jay Rodgers, for example. He didn’t have the luxury of seeing Orhorhoro in training, nor could he get information on the pitch like Heard did. Rodgers’ first exposure to Orhorhoro was the cassette tape.

Quickly, Rodgers said, he was able to establish that Orhorhoro “has the profile to be a very good football player in the National Football League.”

“He does some things that a lot of other people can’t do,” Rodgers said, “because of the things he can bring to the table.”

What are these things? Well, it starts with Orhorhoro’s ability to use his length to lock on guys, his power to push people away, and his speed to get out of blocks. It doesn’t take a genius to see that Orhorhoro has the physical attributes necessary to succeed on the field.

“There are a lot of plays that come his way that need to go somewhere else,” Rodgers said. “And when you start to see that presence in the middle of the defense, that has value for an NFL team, especially for us.”

Longtime defensive tackle Grady Jarrett and recent newcomer David Onyemata are both closer to the end of their careers than the beginning, and everyone understands that. That’s why the Falcons were so confident in finding reliable youngsters who could pair with Jarrett and Onyemata in the near future.

Enter a large and energetic Orhorhoro. However, there is another word that can be used to describe it: versatile.

Throughout his years with Clemson, it was not uncommon to see Orhorhoro used throughout the Tigers’ defensive front. From zero to nine techniques, Orhorhoro did a little bit of everything during his college years. It’s something the Falcons front office has valued since Terry Fontenot took over as general manager in 2021.

Even with a new coaching staff, the value of versatility is more evident than ever. Rodgers said he begins each new year in the defensive line room with the same mantra: “The more you can do, the more you do.” »

In this way, Orhorhoro fits in perfectly, as his skill set allows the Falcons options in placement and usage.

“It feels like he’s almost a piece of clay that you can continue to mold,” Heard said.
“And we think he’s going to continue to improve. Of course, that’s what we hope.”

It was a prospect that ultimately brought Orhorhoro to Atlanta, a place in need of versatile, big and energetic defensive linemen.

“He represents everything we preach from a recruiting standpoint of the type of guys we want to bring here,” Heard said.