theProf Posted August 2, 2017 Share Posted August 2, 2017 Falcons loaded with talent 25 years old and younger Julio Jones and Matt Ryan are the faces of the Atlanta Falcons after leading the team to a Super Bowl appearance in 2016. The reason many think the Falcons will finish first in the NFC and possibly get back to the big game, though, is due to their abundance of young talent. With training camp underway, here are ten Falcons to watch age 25 and under that are expected to play significant roles on the team in 2017. Keanu Neal: SS – Age 22 2016 Stats: 106 total tackles, five forced fumbles Neal was fantastic as a rookie. What he lacked in coverage, he made up for in big hits, with five forced fumbles. Vic Beasley: LB – Age 25 2016 Stats: 39 total tackles, 15.5 sacks, six forced fumbles Beasley made the most headlines of any Atlanta defender in 2016. His 15.5 sacks led the league, garnering comparisons to Denver’s Von Miller. Deion Jones: MLB – Age 22 2016 Stats: 106 tackles, three interceptions, two forced fumbles, two touchowns Deion Jones was a home run as a rookie, second-round pick. His sideline-to-sideline speed made him one of the most productive players on the team. Grady Jarrett: DT – Age 24 2016 Stats: 48 combined tackles, three sacks Jarrett pushes the pocket, allowing Atlanta’s speedy edge rushers to reach opposing quarterbacks. At 24, he’s a key cog in Dan Quinn’s defense Takkarist McKinley: DE – Age 21 (Rookie) McKinley was one of the best edge rushers in college during his senior season at UCLA. His arrival in Atlanta just adds more fuel to an already explosive unit. Ricardo Allen: FS – Age 25 2016 Stats: 90 combined tackles, two interceptions Allen is a steady force on the back end of the Falcons’ defense. His presence helped rookie Keanu Neal play at an elite level in 2016. Jake Matthews: LT – Age 25 Matthews started all sixteen games at left tackle last season. Yes, he committed a key penalty in the Super Bowl, but his pass protection throughout the year was instrumental in getting the team there. Tevin Coleman: RB – Age 24 2016 Stats: 520 rush yards, 421 receiving yards, 11 total touchdowns Coleman is a do-it-all back that perfectly fits into Atlanta’s up-tempo offensive scheme. Even as a backup, he totaled almost 1,000 all-purpose yards last year. Devonta Freeman: RB – Age 25 2016 Stats: 1,079 rush yards, 462 receiving yards, 13 total touchdowns Freeman delivered another great season in 2016, topping 1,000 yards for the second straight year. He and Coleman should continue to give opposing defenses headaches. Austin Hooper: TE – Age 22 2016 Stats: 19 catches, 271 yards, three touchdowns After letting Jacob Tamme go, it appears the Falcons will rely heavily on Hooper in 2017. It’s a big jump for the 22-year-old, but there’s plenty of weapons around him to ease the transition. http://thefalconswire.usatoday.com/2017/08/02/falcons-loaded-with-talent-25-years-old-and-younger/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theProf Posted August 2, 2017 Author Share Posted August 2, 2017 Other noteworthy Falcons also 25 and under: Brian Poole De'Vondre Campbell Jalen Collins Justin Hardy Duke Riley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lethal Posted August 2, 2017 Share Posted August 2, 2017 Great article. Our window is just opening, we are going to have some fun years ahead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FentayeJones Posted August 2, 2017 Share Posted August 2, 2017 I didn't realize Matthews and Allen are just 25. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abcranford2 Posted August 2, 2017 Share Posted August 2, 2017 Dontari Poe is only 26 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abcranford2 Posted August 2, 2017 Share Posted August 2, 2017 Trufant is 26 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin_Pernett Posted August 2, 2017 Share Posted August 2, 2017 This defense should be very good for a long time if we can keep these guys together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abcranford2 Posted August 2, 2017 Share Posted August 2, 2017 Taylor Gabriel only 26 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abcranford2 Posted August 2, 2017 Share Posted August 2, 2017 (edited) Our entire defense besides Alford is 26 or younger. Not including role players on dline Edited August 2, 2017 by abcranford2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drew4719 Posted August 2, 2017 Share Posted August 2, 2017 4 minutes ago, abcranford2 said: Dontari Poe is only 26 That's what really surprised me when we signed him. I thought for sure he was 28 or older. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CraigSmackDaddy Posted August 2, 2017 Share Posted August 2, 2017 Pretty amazing how much talent we have that's 26 or under. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falconfansince66 Posted August 2, 2017 Share Posted August 2, 2017 The 'old man' of the defense... Brooks Reed at 30. (Clayborn comes in at 29). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falconidae Posted August 3, 2017 Share Posted August 3, 2017 5 hours ago, theProf said: Other noteworthy Falcons also 25 and under: Brian Poole De'Vondre Campbell Jalen Collins Justin Hardy Duke Riley Hopefully, we can add Schweitzer and Hill after this season. Would like to see a veteran brought in on the defense that's been on a winning team, a super bowl winning team. Not sure where to put him, just think veteran leadership is underrated. Only age on this team is at positions that play well into their 30s- Bryant, Ryan, Levitre and Mack. Usually, you can look at the over 30 players to see who's going to be drafted early on a team. That would be nobody on defense,nobody on offense, aren't drafting a kicker high , we're not Tampa Bay. Falcons can draft BPA next 3 years, maybe start collecting draft picks to use to move up to get a QB once Ryan retires. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghosts of Glanville Posted August 3, 2017 Share Posted August 3, 2017 Good God this team is loaded. . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precyse Posted August 3, 2017 Share Posted August 3, 2017 All starters Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theProf Posted August 3, 2017 Author Share Posted August 3, 2017 15 hours ago, theProf said: Other noteworthy Falcons also 25 and under: Brian Poole De'Vondre Campbell Jalen Collins Justin Hardy Duke Riley Recap of noteworthy Falcons who are only 26 years old: Desmond Trufant Dontari Poe Taylor Gabriel Levine Toilolo Derrick Coleman (most likely to be the starting FB) Ra'Shede Hageman Kemal Ishmael LaRoy Reynolds Nick Williams Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theProf Posted August 3, 2017 Author Share Posted August 3, 2017 9 hours ago, theProf said: Recap of noteworthy Falcons who are only 26 years old: Desmond Trufant Dontari Poe Taylor Gabriel Levine Toilolo Derrick Coleman (most likely to be the starting FB) Ra'Shede Hageman Kemal Ishmael LaRoy Reynolds Nick Williams Bit of trivia: Rookie TE Eric Saubert is also 26 years old, as is former TE D.J. Tialavea. Although Tialavea has four years of experience at TE, he has just been converted to the Offensive Line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Falcanuck Posted August 3, 2017 Share Posted August 3, 2017 There isn't a team in the NFL with a roster this good from top to bottom. The ONLY question mark heading into the season is RG. That's it. Even the Pats have multiple holes on both sides of the ball. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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