Dante Fowler

A big-ticket free-agent acquisition last offseason, Fowler disappointed in his first year with the Falcons, recording just three sacks in 14 games. The third overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, he has only one season with double-digit sacks on his resume and could become a cap casualty as soon as next year if he's unable to prove his 11.5 sacks with the Rams in 2019 wasn't a fluke.

Fowler is on his third NFL team in as many seasons, but in joining Atlanta he reunites with Dan Quinn, one of his defensive coordinators from Florida. Robert Quinn may have been the Falcons' No. 1 target at pass rusher this offseason, but after losing out in a coin toss to Chicago to secure his services, Atlanta acquired a player five years his junior who just racked up 11.5 sacks during his only full season as a Ram. Some may question if that impressive production was fool's gold given that the third overall pick from the 2015 draft had just 16 combined sacks over his first three active NFL seasons. However, a feasible counter is that Fowler was getting his footing between 2016 and 2018 after losing his entire rookie campaign to a torn ACL.

A midseason trade to Los Angeles kick-started a solid second half for Fowler. He recorded 25 tackles (20 solo) and 2.5 sacks through the final eight games of the season, including the playoffs, and the third overall pick from the 2015 draft has the benefit of a full offseason of familiarizing himself with the Rams defensive playbook heading into 2019. It's also encouraging that Fowler "bet on himself" this offseason by signing a one-year deal to stick with the Rams instead of potentially inking a long-term contract for a lower annual salary with another franchise.

Fowler is coming off somewhat of a breakout season in which he recorded eight sacks and two forced fumbles, but only totaled 21 tackles as he played less than 45 percent of the team's defensive snaps. It was an "eventful" offseason for the 23-year-old, as the Jaguars declined his fifth-year option for the 2019 season. He also received a one-game suspension due to a string of off-field incidents from last year. Fowler took a step up in his second season (he missed what would have been his rookie season in 2015 with a torn ACL), but may end up with a similar role in 2018 due to Jacksonville's elite defensive front returning in its entirety.

A torn ACL robbed Fowler of what would have been his rookie year in 2015, but he returned and played in all 16 games last season. Even after the injury, it's fair to say the Jaguars expected more out of the former No. 3 overall pick, as Fowler recorded only 4.0 sacks and 32 tackles for a defense that consistently failed to pressure the quarterback and generate turnovers. Expectations are high for Jacksonville's defensive line following the addition of Calais Campbell and Fowler will need to improve to avoid being mentioned in the same breath as the Jaguars' recent defensive end draft busts.

The No. 3 pick in the 2015 NFL Draft missed all of last season after tearing his ACL on the first day of rookie minicamp last May. By all accounts, the Florida product was back at full speed in OTAs, and he’ll open the year as a starting edge rusher for a defense that finished only a hair outside the bottom 10 in the league in sacks last season.

The Jaguars made the Florida product the third overall pick in the 2015 draft, adding more talent to a defense that finished sixth in the NFL in sacks last season. However, on the first day of rookie minicamp in May, Fowler went down with a torn ACL, and he's expected to miss the entire 2015 season.