Atlanta Falcons 2018 Defensive Tackle Outlook: How do the Falcons Look up Front?
The Atlanta Falcons are setting up some pretty big goals for this upcoming season.
Coming off an NFC Divisional round loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, and a Super Bowl loss to the New England Patriots, the Atlanta Falcons are setting up some pretty big goals for this upcoming season. But not just the franchise, Atlanta fans won’t be settling for a losing season. And considering how tumultuous the NFC South can be, the Falcons will need a solid season to get into the playoffs. Luckily for Atlanta, they’ll have some big guys on the defensive looking to lend a hand. Let’s take a look at what we can expect from this year’s defensive tackle rotation.
Grady Jarrett || 34 Tackles, 4.0 Sacks, 1 Fumble Recovery in 2017
Jarrett will be the man leading the rotation and you’d be hard-pressed to find a better player to lead the barrage. Coming off a solid season, still young and with plenty of bite, Falcons’ fans can look forward to watching Jarrett make some crucial plays this upcoming season. He’s great against the run and has tremendous talent when going after the quarterback. On top of that, Jarrett plays an unusually high number of snaps for someone in his position.
Terrell McClain || 17 Tackles, 2.0 Sacks, 1 Fumble Recovery in 2017
McClain’s had a rocky career since he entered the league as a 3rd round pick by the Panthers back in 2011. After hopping around different clubs, he’s settled down with the rivals of his inaugural franchise. Although his best days were from 2014 to 2016 for the Dallas Cowboys, the Falcons are still hoping to squeeze some production out of McClain. All in all, McClain has plenty of heart and is tremendous against the run but certainly struggles to get to the quarterback.
Jack Crawford || 3 Tackles in 2017
Obviously, Crawford isn’t coming off the most productive season, but he did go down in October with an injury. Ultimately the Falcons are hoping for some good results out of one of their newest free agency acquisitions. Crawford’s addition adds some versatility to the defensive line as he can get to the quarterback from your standard DT position and can apply tremendous pressure from the edge as well. In this modern day of the NFL, it’s extremely important to have speed and versatility on your defense. Atlanta fans can look forward to seeing him alongside Jarrett in the Falcons’ standard nickel. It’ll also be interesting to see how much Atlanta uses him on the outside.
Deadrin Senat || 66 Tackles, 10 ½ Tackles for Loss, 6.0 Sacks in 2017 (Collegiate)
Picked up in the third round by the Falcons, Senat is strong, has good footwork and brings a tremendous motor to the position. Although he’s not visually imposing, Senat makes up for his lack of size by bringing some attitude into his play.
Senat isn’t just great at stopping the run, he also possesses the quickness off the ball to break up timing in the opponent’s passing game. All in all, Senat isn’t poised to deliver a Pro Bowl season. However, he could develop into a solid player and be a great asset to this defensive rotation.