As Atlanta Falcons rookie defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro waits for a bigger role, perhaps no other teammate understands his feelings better than quarterback Kirk Cousins.

When Cousins ​​was a freshman at Michigan State University in 2007, Spartans offensive coordinator Don Treadwell gave him a challenge: He should play well enough on the scout team that when he went back, the coaching staff would watch the film “Look at him, think, ‘I can’t wait.’ See what this guy can do in the game one day.”

And that’s exactly what Orhorhoro, the Falcons’ second-round pick in April’s draft, did.

“He made life hell for our starting offense,” Falcons defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake said Thursday. “He did that. He was in the backfield. He was shocking and sent the offensive line back into the backfield.

“So he didn’t do it on every single play, but it showed up enough that if you do it against our starting offense, in a real game it probably carries over to our opponent. “And it definitely did .”

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After being a healthy zero through the first four games of the season, Orhorhoro made his NFL debut on October 3 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday Night Football. Since then, he has played in each of the three games, collecting four tackles and a quarterback hit.

The 23-year-old Orhorhoro saw 12 snaps (23% of total defense) in his first outing before playing 22 snaps (33%) against the Carolina Panthers in Week 6 and 17 snaps (28%) against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 7 .

Part of the reason for Orhorhoro’s delayed action is the depth of the defensive line. Falcons head coach Raheem Morris regularly praises the team’s six proven talents at the top: Grady Jarrett, David Onyemata, Ta’Quon Graham, Eddie Goldman, Zach Harrison and Kentavius ​​Street.

In addition to Atlanta’s natural penchant for experience, Morris believes that rookie linemen – on both offense and defense – are similar to quarterbacks, citing the need to adapt to the speed and strength of the professional game.

So the trusted group of seasoned veterans granted Morris and his staff the “luxury” of keeping Orhorhoro on the sidelines early. Atlanta’s pass rush ranks last in the NFL with six sacks, but the Falcons are playing the long game with Orhorhoro.

But his play on the field forces the Falcons to take action.

“Ruke’s progress has earned him the right to go out and take some snaps,” Lake said. “And now you’ve seen him take more snaps every week, and you’ll see him take even more snaps as time goes on.”

Lake refrained from avoiding comparisons to the 6-foot-1, 220-pound Orhorhoro, citing the uniqueness of his size, strength and athleticism, but noting that he will wait until more plays are made and more numbers are produced to name other NFL defensive linemen.

But Morris took a different approach.

As the Los Angeles Rams’ defensive coordinator in 2023, Morris saw another rookie defensive tackle, third-round pick Kobie Turner, emerge as one of the sport’s best young pass rushers. Turner played extensively as a passer at the start of the year, but began to play more of a role as the season progressed.

Although the Rams’ defense wasn’t heavy on veterans, they relied on Aaron Donald and Bobby Brown before releasing Turner. He finished the season with nine sacks, the most of any rookie.

Morris does not compare Orhorhoro to Turner. However, he notes similarities in their developmental trajectory.

“He felt a little more comfortable. He was able to do some running tasks. Have done some really impressive things and thrown off blocks. Now his role has increased,” Morris said. “It has improved. He started with that role, then moved on to just taking turns.

“He’s really progressing, going in the right directions, doing some really good things, doing some things that are correctable and that our coach can correct as you go through your process. Really excited about where he is.”

Orhorhoro’s development does not ignore the fact that he is relatively new to football. The 23-year-old played in 53 games with 30 starts in five seasons at Clemson, but didn’t start playing the sport until he was a junior in high school.

Orhorhoro was born in Lagos, Nigeria and moved to the United States when he was nine. He starred on the hardwood and averaged a double-double as a sophomore in 2016 at River Rouge High School, about 10 miles southwest of Detroit.

Now, seven years after his first organized football game, Orhorhoro is at the highest level of the sport. His late start may play a role in his long learning curve — but it also gives him potential that Lake is eager to tap into.

“For him, he’s so smart, so dedicated, so excited, so passionate about football,” Lake said. “And when you have players like that who are so excited about it and you just know that every day and week to week they can reach new heights, new heights, new heights – then he just has to keep the fire in his belly going.” I’m getting better and better, and I know he will.”

Orhorhoro’s rookie season begins Sunday at 1 p.m. when the Falcons (4-3) take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-3) at Raymond James Stadium. It is the first time in Orhorhoro’s young career that he has seen the opponent before.

Except for his routine splashes against the Falcons’ offensive line — plays that turned Cousins’ head and helped create an accurate pocket feel during practice.

Now Orhorhoro gets the chance to wreak havoc on the enemy lines. His chance may have come later than expected given his high-profile draft selection, but it came nonetheless.

And the Falcons won’t be catching up with him anytime soon.

“Many of us want things to happen so quickly, but we understand that it is a marathon, not a sprint,” Cousins ​​said. “I believe good players will eventually rise to the surface and I think that’s true for Ruke too.”

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