Falcons Safeties Preview: How Does Jessie Bates Fit?

One of the Atlanta Falcons' big signings of the offseason was safety Jessie Bates III. The Falcons hope with his addition he can improve a secondary that was one of the worst against the pass last season.

Author:
Harrison Reno
Publish date:
Jul 30, 2023 9:00 AM EDT

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Atlanta Falcons

When the Atlanta Falcons opened training camp on Thursday, they did so with a set of safties that looks like the most talented group they've had under coach Arthur Smith. That is due to a combination of good scouting and drafting, along with the negotiation skills of general manager Terry Fontenot.

The signing of Jessie Bates III is undoubtedly the headliner for a Falcons secondary that was one of the worst passing defenses in the league last season. But just one man can't turn around a whole position group. Even with the signing of Bates, the Falcons still need others to step up and play their part.

That is where the patience of the Falcons will come into play this season, as they've paired Bates, a five-year NFL veteran, with Jaylinn Hawkins and Richie Grant, who have a combined six years of experience as pros.

Grant, the former second-round pick out of UCF, who, despite not meeting the high expectations in his rookie year, started to show the type of player he could be last season.

Grant finished second on the team in tackles last fall with 123, to go along with three for a loss, seven passes defended, and two interceptions. It was the type of production the Falcons expected from the former Golden Knight when they drafted him in 2021. They now hope he can continue to put up those numbers alongside his new safety partner, Bates.

Yet, Grant wasn't the only young safety that the Falcons had a breakout season, as Hawkins also emerged on the scene. Hawkins, a former fourth-round pick, started in 16 games for Atlanta last season and produced 84 tackles, one forced fumble, two interceptions, and six passes defended. By all means, it wasn't a bad year for the fourth-year safety, yet that didn't stop the Falcons from going out to sign an upgrade.

Thanks to free agency and the over $60 million in cap space this offseason, the Falcons were able to sign Bates away from the Cincinnati Bengals, a team whom he never missed a game for during his rookie contract.

The addition of Bates not only gives the Falcons one of the up-and-coming young safeties in the league at 26 years old but also stability over the top of their defense.

After a season where the Falcons ranked near the bottom in the NFL for interceptions with just 10, Bates will give them a true post-safety who can patrol the middle of the field and make plays on the football.

In his last season with the Bengals, Bates finished with a career-high four interceptions, eight passes defended, with 71 tackles. Takeaways and sacks are two areas where the Falcons' defense will be trying to improve this season, and judging by Bates' track record in the interceptions department; he will be a big help.