Who Are Falcons 6 Best Non-QB Players Since 2000?
Some of the most popular Atlanta Falcons since the turn of the millenium are Michael Vick and Matt Ryan. As quarterbacks, it's expected for them to be among the most popular, but who outside of that duo has also made an impact?
NBC Analyst Chris Simms recently ranked the best non-quarterback players each franchise has employed since 2000. Even with quarterbacks Michael Vick and Matt Ryan not eligible for the list, Simms and co-host Ahmed Fareed decided to give the Falcons six representatives because they had so many quality candidates. Most franchises were only given five players.
The names they came up with as the best non-quarterbacks that the Falcons have employed this century are as follows:
LB Keith Brooking
While Brooking's first two seasons with Atlanta came in the 1990s, he still recorded 794 solo tackles, 41 pass deflections and 33 tackles for a loss with the Falcons this century. Brooking was voted to the Pro Bowl every year from 2001-2005.
RB Warrick Dunn
Though he began and ended his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dunn rushed for more yards (5,981) as a Falcon. Dunn peaked in Atlanta with his 2005 season, where he was selected to the Pro Bowl after rushing for 1,416 yards.
WR Roddy White
A first-round pick in 2005, White spent his entire 11-year career in Atlanta, and before another name on this list came along, he seemed destined to go down as the best wideout in franchise history. White finished his career with 808 catches for 10,863 yards and 63 touchdowns. He was a First-Team All-Pro in 2010.
DE John Abraham
After spending the first six years of his career with the New York Jets, Abraham was traded to the Falcons prior to the 2006 season. In seven seasons with Atlanta, Abraham racked up 212 solo tackles, 79 tackles for a loss, 68.5 sacks, 24 forced fumbles and 21 pass deflections. Like White, Abraham was a First-Team All-Pro selection for the 2010 season.
WR Julio Jones
Among the greatest receivers in the modern history of the NFL, Jones put up Hall of Fame-caliber production during a decade in Atlanta. A First-Team All-Pro selection in 2015 and 2016, Jones finished his Falcons career with a franchise-record 12,896 receiving yards. He was named to the Hall of Fame's All-2010s Team, and will likely have a bust in Canton one day.
DT Grady Jarrett
A fifth-round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, Jarrett has turned into one of the best selections in franchise history. Jarrett has two Pro Bowl appearances on his resume, and over eight seasons, he's tallied 420 combined tackles, 106 quarterback hits and 66 tackles for a loss.
The most notable name left off this list was tight end Tony Gonzalez. While he played the bulk of his Hall of Fame career with the Kansas City Chiefs, Gonzalez did spend his final five seasons with the Falcons. During that period he was a four-time Pro Bowler and even managed to be a First-Team All-Pro selection in 2012, his age-36 season. As a Falcon, Gonzalez caught 409 passes for 4,187 yards and 35 touchdowns.
You can vote for which of the six finalists should ultimately be crowned the winner here.
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