When a team has playoff aspirations, there are usually under-the-radar players that must produce within demanding roles. The coaching staff entrusted them to take command of their respective responsibilities and be the above-average player they expected them to be. It’s not about producing Pro Bowl-caliber numbers. It’s about being consistent in an important position.
If the Falcons are going to make the playoffs for the first time since 2017, five players will likely have played significant roles in their success. They all enter this year in positions where they will be counted on.
Some are entering a critical stage in the development of their young careers.