Atlanta Falcons’ Ryan and Jones NFL.com rankings are trash

NFL.com put out their final 10 of their Top 100 NFL players for 2019 Wednesday night and all there is left to say is what a bunch of garbage. The Atlanta Falcons were not well represented.

There are all sorts of levels of disrespect and inconsistencies when it comes to the NFL.com Top 100 and the Atlanta Falcons. With the injuries that were suffered in 2018, Devonta Freeman, Deion Jones and Keanu Neal not on the list was expected.

However, Matt Ryan dropping like a quarter off the Sears Tower from the previous year, Julio Jones not being the top NFL wide receiver and Grady Jarrett not in the Top 100 after being just out of the top 100 in 2018 is absolute garbage.

Let’s start with Matt Ryan.

Only Ben Roethlisberger and Patrick Mahomes had more yards than Matt Ryan in 2018. Matt was top four in yards, touchdowns, completion percentage, completions, yards per game and rating. Matt was top eight in every other category EXCEPT INTERCEPTIONS.

Yet, what NFL.com wants us to believe is that players thought Baker Mayfield and Jared Goff, among others, were better from a peer perspective?? Matt had better years than every quarterback not named Mahomes and yet dropped 40 spots from his 2018 ranking. Beyond absurd.

Julio Jones should be in the top 10, but dropping five spots after leading the NFL in yards and doubling his TD production is beyond stupid. Matter of fact, he should have been in the top three. The only two other players in the NFL better than Julio or more dominating than Julio are Aaron Donald and Khalil Mack. There is zero chance Brees, Mahomes, Brown or anyone else in the top eight are better than Julio.

Truth be told, had NFL.com put DeAndre Hopkins ahead of Julio I would not have been mad either based upon his production and the zero dropped passes in 2018. Hopkins has been incredible based on the absurd lit of quarterbacks that have taken snaps for the Texans during his career. If NFL players really do not believe that Donald, Mack, Julio and Hopkins aren’t the top four players in the league, CTE is more prevalent than anyone believes.

Grady Jarrett just missing the top 100 again is not as big a travesty as Matt Ryan plummeting 40 spots or Julio dropping five overall as the NFL.com top 100 only had five defensive tackles and all five are arguably better than Grady.

That said, while “bulletin board material” is something stupid fans use as water-cooler talk, I really hope that the Falcons are taking notice of all of the nonsensical rankings and ratings coming their way and they are able to find a way to use that to stay motivated as the seasonal grind gets underway.