Atlanta Falcons: Who To Pay, Tevin Coleman or Grady Jarrett?

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ATLANTA, GA – DECEMBER 03: Case Keenum #7 of the Minnesota Vikings is sacked by Grady Jarrett #97 of the Atlanta Falcons during the first half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 3, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

Case for Jarrett

There are just some things that 300-pound defensive tackles are not often able to do.

Many teams around the league are enamored with building in the trenches and up the middle. When it comes to interior defensive lineman, Jarrett has elbowed his way into the conversation of the best defensive tackles in the entire league.

Grady Jarrett is STILL underrated! pic.twitter.com/9XioqKlYLr
— PFF (@PFF) March 25, 2018

Jarrett has an incredible first step and his tendency of knifing into opposing backfields is on display just about every game. He posted career-highs in tackles (55), sacks (four), tackles for loss (10) and games started (16) this past regular season.

Jarrett also led the NFL in first contact at or behind the line of scrimmage this past season according to Pro Football Focus.

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If you need any further evidence of Jarrett’s impact on the Falcons defensive line, his tri-sack performance in Super Bowl 51 against the New England Patriots was MVP-esque until, well you know what happened.

It’s easy to overlook a player such as Jarrett when he shares the locker room with elite talent such as Julio Jones and is surrounded by excellent talent in Deion Jones, Keanu Neal, Desmond Trufant, and Robert Alford.

Once you add the fact that Jarrett was a fifth rounder in the 2015 Draft, and shares the same position with elite players such as Los Angeles’s Aaron Donald and Carolina’s Kawann Short, it solidifies the case that Jarrett is severely underrated and on the verge of being a top-tier player for the young Atlanta Falcons defense.

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