Falcons Rank Extremely Low In Latest ESPN Power Rankings

The Falcons aren't looking too good in these power rankings.

Jeremy Brener | May 18, 2022

Heading into the 2022 NFL season, expectations for the Atlanta Falcons are lower than they were a year ago.

Desmond Ridder

Bryan Edwards

That's to be expected when you've swapped out a suspended Pro Bowl wide receiver for an unproven rookie and a 14-year NFL veteran quarterback with someone who hasn't started a game under center in two seasons.

The events of Atlanta's offseason have led ESPN to place them at No. 31 in its most recent power rankings.

Despite the low ranking, ESPN expects the pass rush to improve in 2022, specifically veteran defensive lineman Grady Jarrett.

"Jarrett, the Falcons' top front-seven defender, had little to no help last season," ESPN wrote. "He saw double-teams regularly and sometimes even triple-teams. Atlanta's approach to the draft -- taking Day 2 rushers Arnold Ebiketie and DeAngelo Malone -- should help the pass rush. And, in turn, it should help Jarrett not face quite as much attention. Plus, Jarrett signed a $51 million, three-year extension days after the draft and celebrated a birthday, so that was a good week for him."

Casey Hayward

A.J. Terrell

Bryan Edwards

Even though the pass rush improved during the draft, the Falcons have a long ways to go in order to climb up the ladder in the NFL. There's a lot of optimism given the freshness of the roster, but with the newness comes a lot of uncertainty.

Given how much has changed for the Falcons this offseason at multiple positions including quarterback, it's hard to tell whether those changes will lead to wins or losses.

Published May 18, 2022

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.