After rookie Bralen Trice suffered a season-ending injury during preseason, the Atlanta Falcons realized they needed to find an edge rusher. They targeted and acquired the unhappy Matthew Judon from the New England Patriots.
At the time, trading a third-round pick felt like a bargain, given his reputation as one of the top pass rushers in the league. However, midway through the season, Judon has been a significant disappointment on a struggling defensive line.
The Falcons made a serious misstep by trading for Judon. His performance this season has been underwhelming; the energy he had with the Patriots seems to have vanished, leaving general manager Terry Fontenot and the team regretting their decision.
Judon has recorded just one and a half sacks this season and hasn’t had a sack since Week 2 against the Eagles. He hasn’t registered a quarterback hit since Week 3.
While the Falcons’ coaching staff has publicly praised him, those comments won’t convince fans or the media. The player expected to revitalize their pass rush has been rated as a bottom-25 edge defender by PFF.
His pass rush and run defense grades are both below 56, with an overall score of just 47.5.
This situation has been a disaster. Fortunately, he didn’t follow in Haason Reddick’s footsteps and push for a big extension before proving himself. Judon now likely regrets that decision.
Fans hope he can turn things around, especially considering his career total of 68 sacks. He’s coming off a season-ending injury, which may be affecting his performance. The Falcons need him to step up, or their defense will continue to decline rapidly.