A.J. Terrell, Clemson Tigers. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images)
The Falcons have the high end roster talent required to compete for an NFC South title, but these five players must be great if Atlanta will succeed.
The Buccaneers and Saints are widely considered to be the top teams in the NFC South this season, but sleeping on the Falcons would be a serious mistake. Head coach Dan Quinn has a lot of stars to work with. The question in Atlanta is whether or not he can forge enough roster depth to turn this squad into a legitimate contender.
The offense will once again be led by Matt Ryan at the quarterback position. He doesn’t have the mobility that a lot of fans like to see in the modern game, but his precision passing from the pocket still gives opposing defenders fits. His connection with Julio Jones should allow the franchise to build on last year’s scoring average of 23.8 points per game.
As usual, the defense remains a big question mark for the Falcons. The franchise put a big bet on Dante Fowler Jr. in free agency. He needs to provide more production than Vic Beasley did last season from the defensive end position. A better pass rush would certainly improve the optics for a talented, but inconsistent secondary.
The Falcons want to crash the party atop the NFC South in 2020, but they need big years from the following five players to become a real factor.
5. A.J. Terrell
The Falcons front office put a lot of pressure on Terrell by reaching for him in the first round of the draft. Now he’s a projected starter as a rookie at one of the most difficult positions to handle in the game.
He’s got the athleticism to develop into a quality starter, but his collegiate tape shows a lot of flaws in his tehnique. That makes him a prime candidate for opposing offenses to target in the early weeks of the season. He doesn’t need to be perfect early on, but he’s got to grow into a quality starter before the posteason arrives to help solidify Quinn’s defense.