Falcons sign 3 defensive veterans with starting experience

Story by

Matt Urben, Falcons Wire

Tue, Mar 17, 2026 ·

3 min read

The Atlanta Falcons added three more free agents to their roster on Monday, officially signing Azeez Ojulari , Samson Ebukam and Da'Shawn Hand. All three front-seven defenders have starting experience and can provide depth for Jeff Ulbrich's defense in 2026.

Ojulari, 25, was selected by the New York Giants in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Over his five-year career, the former Georgia standout has recorded 113 total tackles (61 solo), 22 sacks and 38 QB hits in 49 career games (32 starts). Ojulari's best season was his rookie year when he recorded a career-high eight sacks for the Giants.

Ebukam, 30, has appeared in 111 games over eight seasons, recording 314 tackles (198 solo), 35 sacks, 77 QB hits and 11 forced fumbles. He recorded a career-high 9.5 sacks for the Indianapolis Colts in 2023 but tore his Achilles and missed all of the 2024 season.

Hand, 30, has appeared in 77 career games (26 starts) since entering the league with the Detroit Lions in 2018, recording 131 tackles (83 solo), 6.5 sacks, 17 tackles for loss and 14 QB hits. Last season, he started 13 games for the Los Angeles Chargers .

According to a report from NFL Network's Mike Garafolo, Hand signed a one-year, $3 million deal. These contract numbers are not officially, but the team isn't in too bad of shape with the salary cap.

The Falcons converted a portion of cornerback A.J. Terrell's salary into a signing bonus, freeing up $9 million in cap space. Check out the team's updated roster arranged by position below (free-agent additions in bold):