Blogging Dirty
FanSided

Homegrown talent on the Atlanta Falcons roster

By Joe Beasley

Jan 9, 2022; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons defensive end Grady Jarrett (97) reacts with New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan (94) (not shown) on the field after the game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 9, 2022; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons defensive end Grady Jarrett (97) reacts with New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan (94) (not shown) on the field after the game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Atlanta Falcons front office has been making moves during the off-season to fill the holes in their roster with the limited amount of cap space they have this season. Some of those roster moves included bringing in some of Georgia’s own homegrown talent. A player’s birthplace shouldn’t be a part of the scouting report process, but there’s something about a player coming home to play for their hometown or home state team.

The Atlanta Falcons’ defense revolves around two of the best from the state of Georgia, not only on the team but at their positions in the NFL. Grady Jarrett, son of former Falcons great Jessie Tuggle has been a part of the team since he was drafted in the fifth round in 2015.

Every year, Jarrett has made improvements to the point where he’s one of the best defensive tackles in the league. There were quite a few fans who didn’t agree with the Falcons drafting A.J. Terrell in the first round in 2020, but Terrell has proven his worth since coming into the league and is developing into one of the league’s best shutdown corners.

Those two players have been with the Atlanta Falcons their whole careers. During free agency and the draft, the Falcons brought in even more homegrown talent. In the 2022 NFL Draft, the Falcons drafted Justin Shaffer, a national championship-winning guard who is sure to help the Falcons improve their offensive line play, and John FitzPatrick, a 6’7” tight end that adds even more height to the already sky-scraping Falcons receiving and tight end core.

The Atlanta Falcons also picked up uber-athletic linebacker Lorenzo Carter during free agency (Carter was born in Tennessee, but played high school football in Norcross).

The state of Georgia has produced some of the best talent in the NFL from all positions and the players and the Atlanta Falcons have their share of those players. Two of them have proven themselves to be a crucial part of this team. Only time will tell if the immense talent the others will show while be part of this Falcons team.

Next. Who will be the Atlanta Falcons sack leader?. dark

Home/Atlanta Falcons News