The Atlanta Falcons have signed Canadian defensive lineman Eli Ankou, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.
Ankou impressed as one of the five tryout players allowed a Falcons rookie mini-camp to earn a deal. The 26-year-old played seven games for the Dallas Cowboys last year recording five tackles and one quarterback pressure.
In a whirlwind 2020 season, Ankou originally made the 53-man active roster with the Cleveland Browns in September. He was waived the next day and claimed by the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts waived him in October, landing him in Houston for a short stint before being shipped off to Dallas ahead of the trade deadline.
The six-foot-three, 325-pound defender has appeared in 27 NFL games, recording 31 total tackles, two tackles for loss, two quarterback hits, and 1.5 sacks. He’s earned over $2.4 million in his career to date.
Drafted by his hometown Ottawa Redblacks in the third round of the 2017 CFL Draft, the University of California, Los Angeles product originally signed as an undrafted NFL free agent with the Texans, but ultimately landed with the Jacksonville Jaguars for two seasons. Cleveland poached him from the Jaguars practice roster in 2019 and Ankou went on to start several games for the team down the stretch.
