Recently, NFL Media senior analyst and 2019 Pro Football Hall of Famer Gil Brandt posted an article identifying nine defensive backs he thinks will show up big in 2019. At the beginning of his article, Brandt uses Atlanta Falcons safety Damontae Kazee as an example of a ‘breakout’ defensive back.
Entering last season, Falcons safety Damontae Kazee had one start, 23 tackles and zero interceptions to his name. Sixteen games later, he’d picked off seven passes, tied for the most in the NFL in 2018, and logged 82 more tackles, third-most on the team.