Best Atlanta Falcons all-time draft pick: Outside Linebacker

When Falcons fans think of old-school, hard-nosed linebackers to wear black and red, Tommy Nobis is typically the first name that comes to mind.

But he wasn’t the only heavy-hitter on the 1970’s Falcons defense.

Greg Brezina, Nobis’ partner in crime, stakes his claim as an all-time great Atlanta linebacker.

Not bad for an 11th round draft pick.

The Falcons selected Brezina with the 275th overall selection in the 1968 NFL Draft out of Houston, and he turned in a 11-year stint with Atlanta. In his second year with the team, the native Texan produced a Pro Bowl season with the Falcons to kick off his solid career with the team. He ended up playing in 151 games for the team, starting at linebacker in 114 of them.

Talk about a value pick.

In his Pro Bowl season of 1969, Brezina scooped up five fumbles, previewing the knack for turnovers he would show for the remainder of his time in the league. Brezina finished his NFL career, all of which was spent in Atlanta, with 12 interceptions and 14 fumble recoveries.

Arriving in Atlanta in the third year of the franchise’s existence, Brezina put in the ground work to build the foundation for the team. Ten years after joining the team, Brezina helped lead the Falcons to their first ever playoff berth in 1978.

Just one year before, Brezina anchored the “Grits Blitz,” one the league’s most dominant defenses of all time that gave up a mere 129 points in 14 regular season games.

After sustaining a neck injury, Brezina hung up his cleats following the 1979 NFL season with his legacy as one of the most reliable defensive players the Falcons have seen.

That’s quite the career for a player selected 275th in his draft class.