Atlanta Falcons: Five toughest WR matchups in 2020

The Atlanta Falcons have one of the toughest schedules in the NFL during the 2020 season.

The level of talent that the Atlanta Falcons will face in 2020, is off the charts – especially on the offensive side of the ball. Whether you are talking quarterbacks, receivers, or running backs, the Falcons will have to defend the best that the NFL has to offer on their way back to the top of NFC South standings.

There is no doubt that the NFC South has the league’s best talent when looking at the division from top to bottom.  When you add in the fact that the Falcons also play the AFC West, the schedule gets little dicey, especially when you think about how young the Falcons boundary players are.

Corners like A.J. Terrell, Jordan Miller, and Kendall Sheffield are obviously very young and inexperienced but will have to grow up quickly if the Atlanta Falcons defense is going to give their offense a chance to win the game.

Here are the top five receivers that the Falcons defense will match-up against during the 2020 NFL season. Sorry to disappoint you, but you won’t find twitter crier Michael Thomas on this list.

Mike Evans

Mike Evans should not be a surprise to anyone. He is one of the top receivers in the game and if he had a quarterback in his first six seasons in the league that didn’t throw a million interceptions, Mike Evans would have a much different perception than he has among NFL fans.

He has the size, speed, and intangibles that most players at his position lack. Evans is among the three best in the game – Julio Jones and Deandre Hopkins are the other two.

Even if Tom Brady’s arm isn’t as strong as it was last year, Mike Evans will flourish with a quarterback that can read defenses and doesn’t just throw the ball up in hopes of it being caught by players wearing his same jersey.

Travis Kelce

Ok, so Travis Kelce on this list might be cheating because he is a tight end, but he is still among the elite pass catchers in the NFL and is an absolute mismatch. Thankfully, the Atlanta Falcons have the best cover linebacker in the NFL in Deion Jones but one of Kelce’s best attributes is his ability to attract attention and allow others to make plays.

The Falcons will have to know where Travis Kelce is at all times as he is the favorite target of Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes and the two seem to have a telepathic connection on the football field.

Mike Williams

Mike Williams on this list might surprise some people, but it is true – just ask Deandre Hopkins who called Williams a “top 10 receiver in the league”.

While the former top 10-pick struggled his first two seasons in the league, he seemed to find himself in 2019 when he led the NFL as he averaged more than 20 yards per catch. Sure, longtime Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers has taken his talents to Indy, Mike is still dangerous and will have another 1,000 receiving season.

In 2019, Williams was 72nd in receptions with just 49 catches but was among the 29 pass-catchers in the NFL to break 1,000 yards. He is insanely talented and can stretch the field, unlike other pass catchers in the NFC South who catch a whole lot of passes without much to show for it.

Keenan Allen

Yes, another Chargers player on the list. Keenan Allen is among the best receivers in the game today but because he plays in an empty stadium for a team that gets very little publicity, he is barely noticed.

Allen does a lot of things very well in the NFL and commands attention and respect every down and he was one of five players to haul in more than 100 passes in 2019.

Allen has averaged more than 1,200 yards each of the last three seasons and will help rookie Justin Herbert transition from college to the NFL.

Tyreek Hill

The fastest man in the NFL, Tyreek Hill. While he is not among the best at any one area among receivers, he puts pressure on the defense because of his speed and his ability to break open while quarterback Patrick Mahomes is scrambling trying to make plays.

Hill averages nearly 15 yards a catch and a lot of what he brings to the table will never show up on a state sheet. Along with Kelce and Mahomes, Hill helps to lead the most potent offense in the NFL and if Terrell, Miller, Sheffield, Isaiah Oliver, or Darqueze Dennard lose track of him, it will be six points on the board.