Look: Falcons roster overhaul over past 3 years is shocking
Atlanta Falcons defense: 2020 vs. 2023
Defensive line (1/13):
- Grady Jarrett
- Tyeler Davison
- Deadrin Senat
- Marlon Davidson
- Dante Fowler Jr.
- Takkarist McKinley
- Jacob Tuioti-Mariner
- Steven Means
- Charles Harris
- Allen Bailey
- John Cominsky
- Austin Edwards
- Pita Taumoepenu
Linebackers (1/5):
- Deion Jones
- Foye Oluokun
- Mykal Walker
- Edmond Robinson
- LaRoy Reynolds
Cornerbacks (1/8):
- A.J. Terrell
- Darqueze Dennard
- Isaiah Oliver
- Blidi Wreh-Wilson
- Kendall Sheffield
- Jordan Miller
- Tyler Hall
- Delrick Abrams
Safeties (1/6):
- Keanu Neal
- Ricardo Allen
- Damontae Kazee
- Jaylinn Hawkins
- T.J. Green
- Jamal Carter
32 defenders spent time with the Atlanta Falcons in 2020, and only four of them still remain three years later. Interestingly enough, one player at each position.
The first thing that crossed my mind here was 'poor ole Grady Jarrett.' The man had 12 teammates next to him that year and not a single one of them was good enough to stick around. The real kicker is how many of them were out the door following the conclusion of the 2020 season.
A.J. Terrell is the only other exceptional player the Falcons still hold the rights to. I guess that explains why the defense has been so consistently bad. The Falcons did have a solid group of safeties—albeit, an injury-prone group of safeties.
All told, only 13% of the players still remain on defense in 2023.