Top 10 Atlanta Falcons

In putting together this list, I was struck by a couple of things. First of all, I noticed how many good offensive linemen the Atlanta Falcons had for a long period of time. Secondly, it seemed like they had kind of a shortage of marquee players. Though lists of this type vary, I don’t have a single running back on it. I did have some guys like Jamal Anderson, Gerald Riggs, and William Andrews whom I considered, but ultimately none made the cut. 

If I revise this list in a couple of years, I expect Bijan Robinson and Drake London will be on it. And possibly Kyle Pitts, so I doubt it will be so dominated by offensive linemen.

10. Mike Kenn

Mike played offensive left tackle for the Falcons for 17 years. That in itself merits consideration for this list. The fact that he played it extremely well is what actually gets him on this list. Kenn began his career with the Falcons in 1978 when he made the NFL All-Rookie team. He finished his career in 1994. Along the way, he was named to five Pro Bowl and two All-Pro teams. Interestingly enough, he made the All-Pro team in 1980 and then again in 1991. Kenn was able to maintain excellence for a long period of time. Mike was also named to the Pro Football Reference’s All 80s second team.

9. Jeff Van Note

A second Falcons offensive lineman of note, or Van Note, was Jeff Van Note. Jeff started his Falcons career in 1969 and played through the 1986 season. From 1974–82 Jeff was named to the Pro Bowl six times. Van Note, like Kenn, gets high marks for longevity and dependability. Making his career even more impressive is the fact Van Note was drafted in the 11th round as a linebacker.

8. Claude Humphrey

Claude Humphrey had the misfortune of getting a lot of sacks before the NFL kept sacks as an official stat. Humphries spent 11 seasons in Atlanta and was named to six Pro Bowls and two All-Pro teams in that time frame. In 1968 Claude was named the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year. While sacks weren’t an official stat back in Claude’s heyday, he was unofficially credited with a career high of 15 sacks during the 1976 season. Claude is on this list as one of the most dynamic defenders in Falcons’ history.

7. Jessie Tuggle

From 1987–2000 Jessie was a tackling machine for the Atlanta Falcons. Tuggle’s stats include 10 forced fumbles and 10 recovered fumbles as well as 21 sacks and six interceptions. Those stats don’t sound overwhelming, but leading the NFL in tackles for four seasons is impressive. Tuggle also returned five fumble recoveries for TDs, which is an NFL record. Tuggle was named to five Pro Bowls during his career.

6. Matt Ryan

Matty Ice reached the pinnacle of his career in 2016 when he was named the NFL’s MVP. Rather than Ryan reaching another level, that year appears to be an outlier. Having said that, Ryan was still a very good QB, just not a great one. Ryan’s passer rating for 2016 was 117.1. His career rating with the Falcons was 94.2. If the Falcons had been able to complete their win over the Patriots in Super Bowl LI history would have probably looked at Ryan a little differently. As it is, Matt was a good QB who came close to winning the big one. Ultimately Matt has been named to four Pro Bowls and was named All-Pro once. He was also named the AP 2008 Offensive Rookie of the Year. Matt wound things down with the Indianapolis Colts.

5. Tony Gonzalez

After having a fantastic run with the Kansas City Chiefs, Gonzalez capped off his career with a great five-year run with the Falcons. In five seasons in Atlanta, Tony caught 409 passes good for 4137 yards and 35 TDs. He was also named to four Pro Bowls and two all Pro teams. During those five seasons, Tony caught between 70–93 passes. Gonzalez was very good and very consistent. In his final season, at age 37 Gonzalez caught 83 passes for 859 yards and eight TDs. Not a bad way to go out.

4. Roddy White

Before Julio Jones, there was Roddy White. Roddy played his entire 11-year career with the Falcons, catching 808 passes for 10,863 yards and 63 TDs. White had two seasons with 100 or more catches. In 2010 he led the NFL with 115 receptions. In five playoff games with the Falcons White caught another three TD passes. Roddy was named to four Pro Bowl teams and made the All-Pro team in 2010. For a period of time, he teamed with Julio Jones to give the Falcons one of the best wide-out duos in recent memory.

3. Deion Sanders

Deion is probably the flashiest player in Falcons’ history. He was pretty good, too. Deion played cornerback and returned kicks in his five seasons in Atlanta. During those five seasons, Deion was named to three Pro Bowls and two All-Pro teams. He intercepted 24 passes and returned three of them for scores. Deion also forced seven fumbles and recovered six. He also scored two TDs via punt returns and three more returning kickoffs. Deion may have been higher on this list if he had spent more time with the Falcons.

2. Tommy Nobis

Here’s a pick that’s statistically hard to justify. Nobis was the first player in team history drafted by the Falcons and lived up to the hype. In 1966 he was named the NFL’s Rookie of the Year and was named to the Pro Bowl. In all, Nobis played 11 seasons and went to the Pro Bowl five times, and was named All-Pro in 1967. While there aren’t official stats for tackles from back in Tommy’s day, I believe, “a whole bunch” sounds about right. Nobis intercepted 12 passes in his time with the Falcons. In the 60s there was some debate over who was the better middle linebacker, Tommy Nobis or Dick Butkus. The Pro Football Hall of Fame went with Nobis, selecting him to their first ream All 60s team.

1. Julio Jones

In ten seasons with the Falcons, Jones caught over 100 passes three times. His best season was in 2015 when he caught 136 passes for 1871 yards and eight TDs. He was excellent in the playoffs. In eight playoff games, he caught 61 passes for 834 yards and six TDs. Jones rates as the best receiver in Falcons’ history. Seven Pro Bowls and two All-Pro teams add to Jones’ resume.