The Atlanta Falcons have been stuck in the middle of the pack for the past few seasons, with two straight 7-9 finishes keeping them out of the playoffs since 2017.
When teams underachieve, it can often lead to great players being underappreciated nationally. In 2019, Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett was one of the most dominant interior linemen in the league, but despite earning his first career Pro Bowl selection, Jarrett doesn’t get the acclaim he deserves outside of Atlanta.
That’s what NFL.com’s Cynthia Frelund examined in her recent article looking at each team’s most underappreciated player. Jarrett, who finished the year with 69 total tackles, 16 QB hits, 12 tackles for a loss, 7.5 sacks and two forced fumbles, was named as the Falcons’ most underrated player by Frelund.
“Jarrett’s ability to stop the run made him an extremely efficient member of the Falcons’ defense, as he tied for the NFL lead with 20 run stuffs last season (per NGS). My spatial models show that his ability to pressure opposing quarterbacks ranked fifth (in pressure-rate percentage) among interior defenders.”
It may seem like a bit of a stretch for Atlanta’s best defensive player to also be its most underappreciated. However, defensive tackles not named Aaron Donald tend to get overlooked by edge rushers and linebackers that stuff the stat sheet.
A return to contention in 2020 would certainly help Jarrett become more of a household name.
