How Bralen Trice’s play caught the Falcons’ attention

In Booth’s AP article on Trice linked above, Washington right tackle Roger Rosengarten thought Trice’s outing could be considered one of the best in college football. After the Falcons drafted Trice with the No. 74 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Smith said Trice was the guy you wanted in a proverbial bar fight. According to Collier, the seemingly effortless way Trice moves offensive linemen out of his way in his pursuit of the quarterback is the most notable quality he possesses.

All of these opinions and observations go directly back to this idea of ​​being an enforcer.

But the biggest problem with this nickname is catching fire? Trice’s sack numbers coming out of college didn’t look like those of his draft mates. Trice finished his 40-game stint in the college ranks with 18 total sacks. In comparison, first-round picks Dallas Turner, Jared Verse and Laiatu Latu all finished their careers with at least 23.5 sacks.

However, the biggest misconception about Edge Rushers is that their value is only as high as their sack totals. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

Are bags important? Yes. But ask defensive coordinators around the league, or at any level really, and they’ll all agree: Getting a quarterback out of position and under duress is just as important. And you know who has done that more than any player in college football over the past two seasons? Trice.

According to Dane Brugler’s draft guide, Trice finished No. 1 in the FBS in total pressures in 2022 (70) and 2023 (78).

The Falcons took notice. Not only that, but Smith caught it while he watched Trice’s passing moves on film.

“When you look at the Edge Rushers, you want to see can they win a head-to-head?” Smith said. “And this guy, for the last two years, led the FBS in winning percentage when it came to one-on-one passing. … He’s the best at it. You get a guy who can affect the quarterback and that’s what we need in this league and with everything we’re trying to do.

For Collier, that line in Trice’s stat sheet is something that kept him coming back for more. For what? Well, because it’s a stat line that deserves special attention. It’s a stat line that can evolve into something more, sometimes quite quickly. If you’re pressuring a quarterback, if you’re constantly in the pocket, there’s a good chance you’re a millisecond away from adding to another stat line: sacks.

This is something that convinced the Falcons that Trice would be their guy if he was available.

“As long as it builds as he progresses, in terms of his college career, you’re going to say, ‘Okay, this kid’s trajectory is going in the right direction,’” Collier said. “He’s got the qualities that you like, whether it’s in his case good hands, good feet, strong, all that kind of stuff. You can project out and say the sacks are going to come. A lot of D-End Rush coaches will talk to guys like that: ‘Just be relentless. Do the things you do well, and the sacks are going to come.’”

And therein lies the hope of Trice’s trajectory in Atlanta: that the best and most productive days of “The Enforcer” are ahead of him.