The Atlanta Falcons are going to throw a lot of guys at you up front. Defensive line coach Nate Ollie, who is one of the best in the business, values aggressive, attacking players up front and rotation to help keep those players fresh. That and the inevitable attrition you get throughout the course of the season mean the Falcons should and likely will carry many defensive linemen between the roster and the practice squad.
That’s why it’s no great surprise to see workouts for that position group crop up. The latest, reported by Pro Football Network’s James Larsen, is UFL standout Devonnsha Maxwell.
Maxwell, a former Bengals undrafted free agent, suffered a deeply unfortunate injury in August of 2023 that derailed his entire first season. He wound up in the UFL after recovering and has spent the past two seasons there, putting up four sacks and 10 tackles for a loss over the past two seasons. There’s real talent here as a pass rusher, but the knock on Maxwell coming into the league was inconsistent displays of strength and run stopping acumen and the fact that he was an older prospect as a sixth-year senior. For a team like Atlanta that loves having options who can get after the quarterback on the interior, he could make a legitimate case for a practice squad spot if he impresses during his workout.
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We’ll see if he signs, but the Falcons haven’t been shy about turning to the UFL for workouts and even signings in recent years. Maybe Maxwell will make the jump.
