Marks and milestones Falcons can chase in 2023

The Falcons have turned over a significant portion of their roster in the last couple of seasons and will do so again, which means there aren’t all that many players who have the talent and longevity in Atlanta to challenge franchise leaderboards. There are, however, a few.

In 2023, it’s safe to say that Tyler Allgeier, Younghoe Koo, Grady Jarrett, Jake Matthews, and A.J. Terrell will have real opportunities to work their way into some statistically impressive company. Let’s take a look at what might be ahead for them next season.

Tyler Allgeier: top 16 in franchise rushing yards

This seems crazy, given that the Falcons have had some truly great backs like Jamal Anderson, William Andrews, Gerald Riggs, and Michael Turner, but there there are actually only 29 backs in franchise history who have over 1,000 yards. Allgeier is one of them, and if he can produce at a similar level as he did in his rookie season, he’ll soon be among the most productive backs in team history.

With just 961 yards, which translates to just 56 yards per game over a full season, he’ll vault past 13 players including Jason Snelling, Matt Ryan, and Jerious Norwood to hold down 16th place all-time for rushing yards. If he were to get to 1,250—not unreasonable if he’s the top back on the depth chart, given that he produced what he did in 2022 playing a limited role early on—he’ll also vault past Art Malone, T.J. Duckett, and Craig Heyward and sit at 13th all-time.

This is a big swing given that we don’t know if the Falcons might draft someone like Bijan Robinson or add another complement who might cut into Allgeier’s touches, but even a good season as the #1 back will have him rising up the ranks.

Younghoe Koo: Chasing top 4 in every kicking category

Koo will have to kick a very long time to surpass the great Matt Bryant and claim first place on any of the team’s kicking-related records, but he’s already top five in most and has a chance to keep rising in 2023.

He’s just behind Jay Feely in field goals from 30-39 yards (Feely has 42, Koo 36), behind Mick Luckhurst in 40-49 yard field goals (Luckhurst has 38, Koo 30), and has a real shot at catching Feely and Norm Johnson in extra points (Johnson has 143, Feely 142; Koo sits at 111). If he accomplishes these feats in the course of a typically strong season, Koo will be no lower than fourth in any franchise leaderboard for a kicker, which is impressive given that he hasn’t actually held down the position that long for Atlanta.

Grady Jarrett: In rare company for sacks, quarterback hits, and tackles for loss

Jarrett has been so good for so long that he’s always at risk of being underrated. Chances are good that 2023 will leave him as even more of an unquestioned Falcons great than he already is.

Jarrett is five sacks out of a three-way tie for 7th place all-time in team history for that statistic, with Don Smith, Jeff Merrow, and Vic Beasley all knotted up at 37.5. With a better defense around him, he has a real chance of hitting that mark, and then he’ll be chasing Travis Hall (41.5) for 6th place all-time from there.

In terms of quarterback hits, Jarrett is second only to John Abraham with 106 to Abe’s 115, another mark he has a very reasonable chance of hitting or exceeding in 2023. He’s also tied with Patrick Kerney for third place all-time in terms of tackles for loss with 66, with John Abraham (79) and Jonathan Babineaux (91) ahead of him.

These marks are all indicative of how disruptive Jarrett is even if he’s never had huge sack numbers, and I wouldn’t bet against him achieving any of them.

Jake Matthews: Top 10 in games played

A paragon of consistency, Matthews has played in most every game since joining the Falcons, and that’s going to put him in some rarefied air if it continues in 2023.

Matthews is currently sitting at 17th in games played for the franchise with 145, behind two other tackles in Mike Kenn (who is #1) and Bob Whitfield (7th). With a full 17 game season, he’ll vault all the way up to a tie for 10th place with Scott Case, which again would be a testament to his consistently solid play and ability to stay healthy.

A.J. Terrell: Top 10 in pass deflections

Sitting at 32 pass deflections through just three seasons, Terrell seems like a borderline lock to challenge Robert Alford’s franchise mark of 85 someday. At his current average of just over 10 per season, Terrell will go from 12th in that mark to 8th, passing Chris Houston, William Moore, and Ashley Ambrose along the way.

It’s worth noting that Isaiah Oliver (34) could also work his way up the leaderboard if he returns to Atlanta again in 2023.