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Falcons CB A.J. Terrell, TE Kyle Pitts named to top 25 under 25

Over the last two offseasons, the Falcons have gradually transitioned away from their veteran core. Big-name players like Matt Ryan, Julio Jones, Alex Mack and Keanu Neal are playing elsewhere while younger faces, such as Kyle Pitts and A.J. Terrell, have taken the forefront in Atlanta.

Terrell has quickly ascended into elite territory over his first two NFL seasons and has become a staple of the team’s defensive secondary. Draft experts were highly critical of the Falcons for selecting Terrell in the first round of the 2020 draft, but those takes haven’t clearly aged well.

Pro Football Focus has consistently recognized Terrell for his consistent performance, ranking him as the ninth-best player under the age of 25 in a recent feature.

PFF on Terrell:

“Terrell earned the highest coverage grade of any cornerback in the NFL last season (90.1). He allowed just 29 catches for 200 yards all year and surrendered a league-low 47.5 passer rating into his coverage. His massive leap in production in just his second NFL season at such a difficult position moves him into the top 10 of this list.”

The former Clemson standout will enter his third season as one of the most effective cornerbacks in the league, and that was with very little help around him. Atlanta signed two-time Pro Bowler Casey Hayward to a two-year, $11 million contract over the offseason.

Pitts, the Falcons’ star tight end, just barely made the list at No. 24 following his 1,000-yard rookie campaign.

PFF on Pitts:

“It felt like Pitts’ rookie season wasn’t talked about nearly enough. He recorded 1,026 receiving yards on 68 catches from 110 targets, and it’s as if no one was impressed. His lack of touchdowns (just one on the year) probably played a part, but he was one of only two rookie tight ends in NFL history to surpass 1,000 receiving yards. No more Matt Ryan in Atlanta might get in the way of some inevitable monster…

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