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Many young players on the Atlanta Falcons roster have been stepping up this season and Richie Grant is one of them.
The second-year safety has had solid performances through Atlanta’s first three games, sealing the victory in their most recent 27-23 win over the Seattle Seahawks.
Seattle’s Geno Smith had intended a pass for wide receiver Tyler Lockett, however, Grant snagged it instead to end the game.
His outstanding performance didn’t go unnoticed by eight-year veteran Grady Jarrett
“It’s definitely encouraging to see (Grant) step up and make that play,” Jarrett said following Sunday’s win. “(Grant and safety Jaylinn Hawkins) are ballhawks back there and for them to be able to show that is good, as me being an older player and seeing him in year two make that big play in a hectic environment is awesome.”
Grant Makes the Move From Nickel Back to Safety
The Falcons added a versatile safety to their secondary in the 2021 NFL Draft when they selected Grant in the second round out of the University of Central Florida.
However, Grant ended up playing primarily at nickel cornerback after Isaiah Oliver’s season-ending knee injury in Week 4. It was not a foreign position for him but for an NFL rookie, the job was a lot and he struggled.
Now, Grant enters year 2 of his rookie contract and is back to focusing on the safety position, which has been working out in his favor and head coach Arthur Smith is proud of him.
“Everybody wanted instant gratification; Richie Grant’s playing pretty damn good football right now, he really is,” Smith said Monday, September 26. “Sometimes if you rush guys too early, it can be a detriment to their career. You’ve just got to evaluate it case-by-case, and there’s been a plan. It’s good to see it pay off for guys like Richie.”
Why the Falcons Drafted Grant in 2021
Grant’s versatility to play various positions in the secondary was certainly the main reason Atlanta was eyeing him in the draft in the first place. However, his leadership skills while playing at UCF were even more appealing in defensive coordinator Dean Pees’s eyes.
Pees made it clear earlier this year to the young defender that he shouldn’t be afraid to use his voice because of his rookie status.
“I told him early on, ‘That’s not why we drafted you. We drafted you because when you were at Central Florida you were a take-charge guy. We need that,’” he said over the offseason, via team reporter Tori McElhaney.
Grant finished the 2021 season playing in a total 16 games (0 starts) with 35 tackles, one forced fumble and fumble recovery and two passes defended. He played 192 snaps at slot corner and gave up 19 catches on 24 targets (79.2 reception percentage) for a total of 202 yards and an overall defensive PFF grade of 56.8.
While Grant didn’t play the position he was originally drafted for, he couldn’t have been more grateful for the way things turned out in the end.
“I thank my coaches for that, for putting me in that position because it just helped me grow as a leader,” Grant said. “… Just getting comfortable making the call, that I am not wrong in this call.”
Entering Week 4 against the Cleveland Browns, the new and improved Grant has already made 23 tackles and recorded an interception.
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