On Wednesday, ESPN published a ranking of the NFL’s top 10 defensive tackles for the 2022 season (subscription required).
ESPN surveyed over 50 league executives, coaches, scouts and players to help them come up with the ranking, with the voters giving ESPN their top 10 players at the defensive tackle position. ESPN then rounded up the results and ranked players based on the number of top-10 votes they received and composite average along with a slew of interviews, research and film-study help from ESPN NFL analyst Matt Bowen.
With all that said, former Tiger and current Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett checked in at No. 9 on ESPN’s ranking of the top 10 defensive tackles for 2022.
Here’s what ESPN’s article, authored by ESPN staff writer Jeremy Fowler, had to say about Jarrett with feedback from an NFL senior personnel executive:
For the second consecutive year, Jarrett garnered enough votes to sneak into the top 10 but not enough to make a sizable jump.
“A little declined but really good player,” an NFL senior personnel exec said. “Wins with initial quickness. Still one of the best at that. So if he keeps that, he’ll always be productive.”
We saw one sack in 2021 on 12 quarterback hits for Jarrett, whose baseline stats don’t tell his full story. His get-off (burst off the line of scrimmage) still stands out. And the Falcons rewarded that skill with a big-money extension this offseason.
Once labeled as a player who struggles against the run, Jarrett comes in with a decently strong 35.5% run stop win rate (35th among defensive linemen) to complement his 15.4% pass rush rate (fourth among defensive tackles).
During his NFL career so far, Jarrett has seen action in 110 games with 95 starts while totaling 359 tackles (198 solo), 26.5 sacks, 54 tackles for loss, five forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and 89 quarterback hits. He helped the Falcons to a Super Bowl appearance at the end of the 2016 season.
A two-time Pro Bowler, Jarrett signed a three-year contract extension with the Falcons this offseason and is entering his eighth season with the Falcons in 2022.
A couple of other former Tiger defensive tackles, D.J. Reader of the Cincinnati Bengals and Christian Wilkins of the Miami Dolphins, are listed among the others who didn’t make the top 10 on ESPN’s list but also received votes.
–Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
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