Falcons Praise 'Powerful' Ta'Quon Graham's Winning Impact

Ta'Quon Graham landed on injured reserve in Week 11. But the Atlanta Falcons saw a ton of growth in their second-year defensive lineman.

Jeremy Brener | Jan 12, 2023

Despite missing the final six games of the season, the Atlanta Falcons are encouraged by the growth Ta'Quon Graham exhibited in his second season.

Graham recorded 34 tackles in 11 games this season, 19 more than what he was able to do in 13 contests in his rookie campaign.

The Falcons are beginning to view Graham as a crucial piece to the future development of the defense.

"The way he's able to collapse the pocket sometimes which allows you to get them on the edge, I thought TQ had made a lot of strides there," Smith said. "Powerful player. TQ was having a huge impact on us - it's not just the stats, the impact he has. Even going back to Kyle (Pitts) - last year he had 1,000 yards and makes the Pro Bowl, we were a different offense. This year, (I) kept saying the impact he had on winning - one thing's not lost on us in the value of Kyle and TQ both (is) the impact they have on this team."

To be put in the same sentence as Kyle Pitts, who broke several records as a rookie and was the fourth overall pick in last year's draft, is significant and a major compliment.

The Falcons know that in order for a rebuild to work, hitting on late picks is crucial. And they feel that their fifth-round pick from a year ago could be one of those necessary puzzle pieces.

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Published Jan 12, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.