Take a look at the three Atlanta Falcons football players who were left off of ESPN’s list of the top 100 players to watch in 2017.
There’s really no doubt about it, the Atlanta Falcons will have everyone’s attention throughout 2017. After blowing a 25-point lead in Super Bowl 51, this is a team that has a ton to prove this year, especially with their dedicated fan-base. However, that doesn’t mean expectations for the Dirty Birds aren’t sky-high heading into the season.
Since we are so darn close to week one of the regular season, ESPN decided to release their Top 100 players to watch list and it definitely came with some surprises. According to 53 different NFL experts that contributed to this list, there were six specific Falcons worthy enough to make the cut.
According to Will McFadden, Julio Jones ranked sixth, Matt Ryan ranked 23rd, Alex Mack ranked 31st, Vic Beasley ranked 46th, Devonta Freeman ranked 66th and Desmond Trufant finished 89th. While every single one of those guys deserve to be on this list, I was more caught off guard by the Atlanta players who were snubbed by the 53-man experts. To be more specific, there are three players who should have definitely been included.
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Taylor Gabriel, Tevin Coleman and Takk McKinley are three Falcons who will ultimately be the team’s X-factors by the end of this season. Each guy brings a completely different element to this football team and they are also some of the most dangerous players in the entire league.
While McKinley is only a rookie, he was the team’s first-round draft pick and has high expectations upon his shoulders. After Vic Beasley led the NFL in sacks, the Falcons’ front-office still believed they needed another pass-rusher beside him. Is McKinley the missing piece on a young Atlanta defense? Is he the biggest key to winning their first Super Bowl? That would indeed be something to watch in 2017.
If having a rookie on the list is too far out there, what about Gabriel and Coleman? “Turbo” Taylor was released by the Cleveland Browns at this point last season, only be to picked up by the Falcons and became one of Matt Ryan’s most dangerous weapons in his MVP season.
Next: NFL Power Rankings 2017: Preseason Week 4
Or how about the former Indiana Hoosiers’ football player? He also took off in 2016, but will also be splitting playing time again with Devonta Freeman. Is this is yea that Coleman finally earns the starting job? Is he the best back-up running back in the league?
These are all things to ponder, just not for informed NFL experts.