How will the Falcons use Grady Jarrett after rehab and scheme change?

Going into his tenth season in the NFL, Grady Jarrett will look to get back to dominating on the field after sustaining a season-ending injury in week eight last season.

2023's ACL tear was Grady's first season-ending injury in his professional career. It is not easy rehabbing from any injury and it becomes more difficult when you are undergoing your fourth head coaching change (which includes Raheem Morris' interim tenure) and eighth defensive coordinator change.

The Clemson-alum will have to rehab and learn a relatively new scheme while also being counted on as the leader of the defense. His plate is full right now, to say the least.

However, if anyone can overcome all of this, it is Grady Jarrett who has been through some tough times in the ATL.

With a new coaching staff, his role is going to change, especially since the base of the defense is going from Ryan Nielsen's 4-3 to Jimmy Lake's 3-4.

How will the Falcons use Grady Jarrett in his tenth season?

With Raheem Morris and Jimmy Lake coming from the Los Angeles Rams, there is one player you can look at when projecting Grady's role in 2024—the recently retired Aaron Donald.

While Aaron Donald has been on a whole different level, Grady's game has some similarities. Both are "undersized" defensive tackles who like to use their quickness and leverage to beat bigger offensive linemen.

With the Rams, Donald was used up and down the line, minus at nose tackle. Let's look at which positions he played during his 903 snaps last season, according to Pro Football Focus.

• NT: 19 snaps
• DT: 349 snaps
• DE: 463 snaps
• EDGE: 72 snaps
• Off-ball: 13 snaps

With Jimmy Lake saying he will have a versatile scheme, you can expect to see Grady deployed similarly.

As for his injury, with it being a mid-season injury, he should be good to go soon. Nowadays, there isn't much worry when it comes to repairing a knee. It may take him a few weeks to get back to football shape, however.

All in all, Grady Jarrett will be fine. He has sustained numerous scheme changes throughout his career, he knows how to handle it. And while he is recovering from his first season-ending injury, he has had plenty of time to make his way back.