Atlanta Falcons talk: Who is the best defender on the team?

Here’s something I will never tire of typing: The Atlanta Falcons currently have one of the most exciting young defenses in the NFL. Between promising pass rushers Vic Beasley and Takkarist McKinley, wrecking ball defensive tackle Grady Jarrett, elite linebacker Deion Jones, bone-jarring tackler Keanu Neal at safety, and the always great Robert Alford and Desmond Trufant at cornerback, this team is stacked with talent, and I didn’t even mention very good players like Ricardo Allen and De’Vondre Campbell.

Given that dizzying array of talent, picking just one best player can be difficult. If you had to, who would you select?

My choice (and probably yours) is Deion Jones. He has been a transformative presence for this defense, as a true sideline-to-sideline linebacker with insane playmaking skills and athleticism. Everyone’s now looking for a Debo to plug into the middle of their defense, and we’re lucky enough to have the one and only on our favorite football team.

An honorable mention goes to Grady Jarrett, who has been a force of nature on the interior of the defensive line since the Super Bowl, when he sacked Tom Brady three times for justice.

Who would be your choice?