After a seventh straight season of being in the bottom half of the NFL defensively, the Atlanta Falcons spent this offseason revamping on that end of the field. They spent significant draft and free agency resources to upgrade their defensive unit, including using four picks in the first four rounds of the draft on defenders.
Safety was one position that the Falcons made an effort to revamp. After signing Jordan Fuller in free agency, Atlanta drafted Xavier Watts and Billy Bowman to add more ballhawks to the mix. To make room, former second-round pick Richie Grant had to depart, signing a one-year deal with the San Francisco 49ers.
In San Francisco, Grant is off to a solid start and is reportedly the frontrunner to start at safety to begin 2025. Regardless of Grant's play for the 49ers, Falcons fans will not miss him going forward.
Falcons Will Not Miss Richie Grant Regardless of How Well He Plays in SF
Grant started in 32 of 34 games for the Falcons in 2022 and 2023, recording three interceptions, nine pass breakups, and three sacks. However, he wasn't able to establish himself as a surefire quality starter at safety and lost his job to veteran star Justin Simmons before the 2024 season.
The former 40th-overall pick still played in every game for Atlanta last season, but he was seldom used on defense, playing 78% of special teams snaps. In the 162 defensive snaps, Grant had a miserable 37.7 grade on Pro Football Focus.
That is why the Falcons weren't too interested in bringing him back, and Grant signed a one-year deal in San Francisco. The reports out of SF suggest that he is looking like he could make an impact right away.
Fortunately for him, injuries to presumptive starters Malik Mustapha and Ji'Ayir Brown present an opportunity for Grant. With both safeties expected to miss the start of the season, Grant has a chance to have a bounce-back campaign and revive his career.
Even if he does that, however, most Falcons fans will be happier with their new-look secondary.