Getty Grady Jarrett will lead what one analyst believes is the worst defense in the NFL.
There’s obvious room for improvement from the Atlanta Falcons’ defense in 2022. Last season’s unit ranked 29th in points and 26th in yards allowed. The group also logged a mere 18 sacks, the fewest in the NFL.
Understandably, the front office has worked hard to revamp personnel this offseason. General manager Terry Fontenot’s efforts have included drafting a pair of edge-rushers, as well as signing four key veterans in free agency.
Not everybody is convinced the changes will make a difference. One Fantasy Football analyst has gone far enough to say there isn’t “a worse defense” in the league than the one the Falcons will put on the field this season.
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New-Look Defense Still Tipped for Bottom of Rankings
Speaking on an edition of the Ross Tucker Podcast, John Chapman of the Cooperative Media Network said: “I don’t think there’s a worse defense than what Atlanta is putting out there.”
“I love QBs on bad defenses and I don’t think there’s a worse defense than what Atlanta is putting out there,”
@JL_Chapman explaining why he’s high on rookie QB Desmond Ridder
It’s a brutal assessment of a unit undergoing major transition the last two years. Dean Pees took over as coordinator when Arthur Smith became head coach in 2021, and the 72-year-old has been trying to make a significant schematic shift work for the Falcons.
Pees runs a multiple version of the 3-4 front, different to the 4-3 alignment and Cover-3 scheme favored by previous head coach Dan Quinn from his time with the Seattle Seahawks. The change hardly made a positive impact last season, and things look just as daunting headed into the new campaign.
Atlanta’s 2022 schedule features some tough challenges early doors. Those challenges include facing Super Bowl LVI champions the Los Angeles Rams in Week 2.
There are also matchups with Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 5 and Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 7. Matthew Stafford, Brady and Burrow will all test the ability of Pees’ unit to do a better job of applying pressure.
Those quarterbacks lead offenses among the most frequent in the NFL for “explosive play passes,” according to ESPN’s Matt Bowen:
‘21 NFL season — Explosive play passes
• Pass of 20+ yards
1. TB — 76
2. LV — 67
3. LAR — 65
4. SF, DAL, MIN, CIN — 63
27. NO, PIT — 41
29. CHI — 40
30. CAR — 36
31. TEN — 35
32. NYG — 31
While those matchups don’t appear to favor the Falcons, there are reasons to believe Atlanta’s defense will be better than expected.
Hidden Talent Can Surprise the Critics
Pees’ group isn’t overloaded with marquee names, but there is plenty of hidden talent. Cornerback A.J. Terrell is the true diamond in the rough after a season where he shut down some of the best receivers in the game:
No fly zone 🚫
Terrell is a darling of the analytics community, with Pro Football Focus’ Trevor Sikkema naming him one of the top 10 defenders under the age of 25.
He’ll need to live up to the billing, because as PFF detailed, Terrell is set to face a long list of elite wideouts this season:
Terrell Island WR1 matchups next season 🏝
There will at least be better support for Terrell, after the Falcons acquired two-time Pro-Bowler Casey Hayward. He’s been dubbed the “most underrated” player on the Falcons’ roster by PFF’s Sam Monson.
Hayward and Terrell will form a duo capable of making things tough on opposing quarterbacks and receivers. They’ll become a deadly double act if the pass rush becomes more potent.
The chances of getting more hits on QBs will hinge on former New York Giants’ outside linebacker Lorenzo Carter. He arrived in free agency after recording five sacks in his final four games last season.
Carter has the confidence of this coaching staff and has been putting in most of the work during OTAs, according to Falcons Beat Reporter Tori McElhaney: “Speaking of spending a lot of time on the field, Lorenzo Carter did. As the older veteran of a very young position group, Carter is going to have ample opportunities to be ‘the guy’ in pass rush if he so chooses.”
Carter’s numbers will also improve if rookies Arnold Ebiketie and DeAngelo Malone make fast starts to their pro careers. Ebiketie, Atlanta’s second-round pick, explained to Falcons Digital Managing Editor Scott Bair how he learns by watching some of the league’s best pass-rushers: “I study Von Miller, TJ Watt, Nick Bosa, some of the guys who have been consistent over the years. I study things they do and try to apply it to my own game.”
Those are good examples for Ebiketie to follow, and the former Penn State standout has also earned praise within league circles for his aggressive style, per NFL Network’s Mike Giardi:
Ebiketie will be expected to play himself into a starting role sooner rather than later, but third-rounder DeAngelo Malone may be used more selectively. That’s the view of Bowen, who believes “Malone can make an early impact as a sub-package defender thanks to his pass-rushing upside.”
With Ebiketie and Carter rushing on early downs and Malone added to the mix on third down, the Falcons should have no trouble replacing Dante Fowler Jr. who led the team with just 4.5 sacks a year ago.
It’ll be a different story at inside linebacker, where Foyesade Oluokun will be missed. He led the NFL in tackles last season, but Oluokun signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars in free agency.
Fontenot signed experienced thumpers Nick Kwiatkoski and Rashaan Evans, a former first-round pick of the Tennessee Titans, to help replace Oluokun. Another of this year’s second-round picks, Troy Andersen, will also get a chance to do what Oluokun did in Pees’ system.
The new group of inside linebackers has a good chance to thrive thanks to the Falcons retaining nose tackle Grady Jarrett. He signed a contract extension worth $51 million, a just reward for one of the more disruptive interior defensive linemen in football.
Jarrett remains a force against the run, something highlighted by Stay Hot podcast host Theo Ash on this play against the San Francisco 49ers:
Prime Grady Jarrett reads this like a book
Pees can count on Jarrett to keep inside linebackers clean and free to chase down opponents.
Jarrett is also one more member of a talented core who should have people believing the Falcons defense can cause a few upsets this season.