Falcons DT Grady Jarrett: Top NFL Draft Steal in Past 10 Years?

After being selected in the fifth-round of the 2015 NFL Draft, Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett has cemented himself in elite company over the past eight seasons.

Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald can make a case as this generation's greatest player on that side of the ball. 

A seven-time All Pro honoree, three-time AP Defensive Player of the Year and Pro Bowler in all nine career seasons, very few have the resume to stack up to the former first-round pick. 

However, just a year after Donald was selected No. 13 by Los Angeles in 2014, the Atlanta Falcons were on the clock in the fifth-round - drafting Clemson product Grady Jarrett with the No. 137 pick. 

Jarrett, a two-time Pro Bowler over his eight-year NFL career, was recently slotted by ESPN as the 26th-best draft steal over the past decade. 

"Jarrett's pre-draft scouting report included the word "undersized," as he lacked length and strength at the point of attack at 6-foot and 305 pounds," ESPN writes. "Aaron Donald blazed a trail for undersized interior defenders, but Jarrett also helped prove that smaller interior prospects can make a big NFL impact. His 17.5% pass rush win rate since 2017 ranks third among interior players, and he landed a big three-year extension in 2022 worth over $50 million."

While the ex-Tiger may not end his career in the same stratosphere as Donald, he's still been a focal point of this Atlanta defense over the past eight seasons - registering 32.5 sacks and 420 combined tackles over his career. Now  Atlanta's longest tenured defensive player and second-longest overall - only behind offensive lineman Jake Matthews - Jarrett has proven that draft position doesn't translate to a NFL career. 

Now with the addition of Calais Campbell and David Onyemata to this Atlanta defensive line, Jarrett is hoping to add some postseason success to his already impressive career. 

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Follow Riley Sheppard on Twitter @RileyDSheppard.

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