6 Players who are rising stars for the Atlanta Falcons

6. Richie Grant, S, Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons went from trusting two veterans at safety in 2021 to trusting two young guys in 2022. One of those young guys was Terry Fontenot's second draft pick as a general manager, Richie Grant.

Grant went from playing 275 snaps (25%) as a rookie (much of which were as a slot CB), to playing 1,117 snaps (100%) this past year. That shows how much trust the team has in him and that should continue even with a new defensive coordinator.

While he did give up some plays, he still had a good year. In fact, Pro Football Focus' grading system says he had three spectacular games. He just needs to improve on consistency.

The good news is that he will now be playing alongside Jessie Bates, meaning he will be able to play more freely. Less pressure will be on his shoulders and so Grant is primed to have a breakout season that could land him 'star' status.