The 12 teams who have never won a Super Bowl include the Atlanta Falcons. But that’s not because they lack outstanding offensive players.
Who are the best offensive players the Falcons have produced in their 58 years? The team has produced some sensational players. Though one of the most unique players at his position in league history, quarterback Michael Vick almost missed the cut. Compared to previous greats of the organisation, he was not as long-lasting or as consistent.
The top five offensive players in Falcons history are as follows:
5. C Jeff Van Note
When the Falcons selected Van Note in the 11th round of the 1969 draft, they got a steal. In his 18-year career, he appeared in 246 games, starting 226 of them. Van Note was twice named to the Second Team All-Pro and attended six Pro Bowls. Between 1970 and 1983, he played 14 years and started all 197 games. It’s essential to have a dependable player in the centre of the offensive line, and Van Note is the best C in Falcons history.
4. WR Roddy White
White is undoubtedly among the top five offensive performers in Falcons history, even though he isn’t the best wide receiver on our list. The 2005 first-round choice was selected to four Pro Bowls and was named to the First Team All-Pro in just eleven years. With an NFL-best 115 catches, 1,389 receiving yards, and 10 receiving touchdowns during his All-Pro season in 2010, White also came in fifth in the voting for Offensive Player of the Year. 808 receptions for 10,863 yards and 63 touchdowns was the peak of his career.
3. LT Mike Kenn
Most organisations couldn’t do worse than Kenn as far as franchise left tackles go. Standing at 6-7 and 273 pounds, the 1978 No. 13 overall choice was a big player. After that, he played for 17 seasons in Atlanta, where he started all 251 of his games. He received two First-Team and three Second-Team All-Pro selections, five visits to the Pro Bowl, and only played fewer than 12 games and fewer than 10 games once.
2. QB Matt Ryan
Ryan is ranked in a difficult position on this ranking. After the Falcons selected him third overall in the 2008 draught, he was named Rookie of the Year. He made three trips to the Pro Bowl in his first eight seasons. Ryan lit up the league with 4,944 passing yards, 38 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions in his ninth season, his second under offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, en route to an MVP award and a trip to Super Bowl LI. Ryan’s only All-Pro campaign and fourth Pro Bowl season both occurred in 2016.
He ended up playing for 14 years in Atlanta, where as a starter he had a record of 120-102. Ryan could be argued to be anyplace from the top or bottom of this list, but given how long he was a reliable player for the Falcons, No. 2 feels right.
1. WR Julio Jones
Few wide receivers in NFL history possess the physical talent of Jones. During his ten seasons in Atlanta, the No. 6 overall pick in the 2011 draught twice led the NFL in receiving yards, three times in receiving yards per game, and one time in receptions. Jones earned two First-Team All-Pro selections, seven Pro Bowl visits, and punched his ticket to seven Pro Bowls. With the team records for receptions (848), receiving yards (12,896), and receiving yards per game (95.5) at the end of his ten-year tenure in Atlanta.