'This is His Group': Grady Jarrett Leads New-Look Falcons DL

The Atlanta Falcons added to their defensive line this season in an effort to further build around Grady Jarrett.

The Atlanta Falcons have plenty of new faces on their defense this offseason, especially on the defensive line. Even with the veteran additions of Calais Campbell, David Onyemata, and Bud Dupree, it doesn't change the fact that the defensive line is Grady Jarrett's room.

Onyemata, the former New Orleans Saint, acknowledged this during a recent interview talking about the position group. 

"This is his group - this is Grady's group," Onyemata said. "We're all here to complement each other out there. In the meeting rooms, on the field, everything - this is his group."

The pecking order has not changed despite Grady no longer being the most senior member of the defensive line as the additions of Campbell and Dupree add another 23 years of combined NFL experience.

"The sky's the limit with this combination," said Onyemata on his and Jarrett's new partnership. "I've known about Grady for the longest time. Knowing what kind of player he is, knowing what kind of respect he commands out there, and just being able to complement that and have us go out there and make plays."

The Falcons ranked near the bottom of the league in sacks a season ago, despite Jarrett having one of his best seasons with 61 tackles, 12 for a loss, and six sacks. This lack of production upfront was met with reinforcements this offseason as general manager Terry Fontenot made the defensive line a priority in free agency.

Depending on how new defensive coordinator and defensive line coach Ryan Nielsen decides to set up his unit schematically, it could be possible that he finds a way to have all of his new additions with Jarrett upfront. 

Thanks to the versatility of the 10-year veteran, Jarrett can play both inside and out for the Falcons, which would allow Nielsen to put Campbell and Onyemata in the middle, with Jarrett and Dupree on the edge.

That rotation would be a scary thought for opposing offenses as the Falcons would arguably have two players in Jarrett and Campbell that could command double teams. 

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