As we pointed out on Wednesday, the Atlanta Falcons aren’t exactly loaded with young talent. Right guard Chris Lindstrom was the only member of the team to make Pro Football Focus’ top 25 players under 25 list.
But while the Falcons may be lacking in talent under 25, they still have some outstanding players on the roster. Grady Jarrett, Calvin Ridley, Foye Oluokun and Deion Jones are each under 30 and among the team’s best players.
Jones landed on Touchdown Wire’s list of the NFL’s top 11 linebackers. TD Wire’s Mark Schofield ranked him as the No. 7 linebacker in the league.
“Last year was not the best season for the Atlanta Falcons, and that includes linebacker Deion Jones,” writes Schofield. “But even as the team was struggling Jones found ways to impact the game and continue his growth as a linebacker. He set career-high marks with five sacks, six quarterback hits and eight QB hurries, as the Falcons tried to find ways to consistently pressure the opposing passer.
Jones also has great man and zone coverage skills for a linebacker, as we saw back in 2019. While he was picked on a bit more in coverage last season — he allowed an NFL passer rating of 103.8 when targeted, the worst number of his career — he still notched a pair of interceptions and three pass breakups. If his coverage numbers return to form, he’ll appear even higher on lists like this next summer.”
It’s true that Jones was somewhat overlooked in 2020 due to the team’s struggles, along with fellow linebacker Foye Oluokun’s emergence. Plus, as Schofield pointed out, Jones’ coverage skills weren’t quite up to par last season. However, this was not entirely on Jones.
Atlanta’s lack of pass rush, inexperienced secondary and sputtering offense each impacted the middle linebacker’s effectiveness. Under new defensive coordinator Dean Pees, expect Jones to bounce back in a big way this season.
[lawrence-related id=74371,74342,74343,74329,74355]
[vertical-gallery id=66472]
