Linebacker depth was not supposed to be a problem for the Atlanta Falcons in 2018. With superstar Deion Jones manning the middle and the capable De’Vondre Campbell on the strong side, the only true weak spot was supposed to be second-year defender Duke Riley at weak-side.
As the best laid plans are known to do in the NFL, it didn’t work out that way. Jones suffered a serious lower body injury early in the season and wound up only playing in six games. Atlanta tried several different players as the new defensive play-caller, with no success. Foye Oluokun developed a great deal as the year went on, but middle linebacker became a liability, and with it the entire defense.
For the season, only one Falcons linebacker was ranked among the top five in the NFC South by Pro Football Focus. Jones came in at No. 3 with an average 75.8 overall rating. Here’s how they stacked up.
Kuechly is probably going to be at the top of this list as long as he’s still walking, but when he’s fully healthy Jones should at least be able to come in a close second.
This raises the question if the team needs to address adding more linebacker depth this offseason. Oluokun and Riley both took strides and when he’s not playing out of position Campbell is still an above-average linebacker. The problem is that if any of them get injured, Atlanta’s defense could suffer devastating consequences again.
Recently, the team re-signed Bruce Carter to a one-year deal, but he’s unlikely to make a big impact. The Falcons should consider bringing in former Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis if he’s willing to play for a hometown discount.
