Latest news with #JessieBatesIII
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
NFL coaches, scouts rank Jessie Bates among league's top 10 safeties
The Atlanta Falcons have made some questionable moves in free agency over the years, but signing Jessie Bates III to a four-year, $64 million contract was among the smartest decisions this team has made since general manager Terry Fontenot took over in 2021. Bates, 28, has recorded 10 of his 24 career interceptions over the last two seasons in Atlanta. The Falcons defense had a rocky year under defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake, but Bates consistently showed up each week. Even though he missed the Pro Bowl, Bates has impressed those around the league. Advertisement ESPN polled NFL execs, coaches and scouts to rank the top 10 players at each position ahead of the 2025 season. Bates was ranked as the league's fourth-best safety in Jeremy Fowler's latest feature: Bates is a prime example of how free agency is supposed to work. The Falcons gave him a four-year, $64 million deal two offseasons ago, and he has rewarded the team with 10 interceptions and 21 pass breakups so far. His 24 interceptions since entering the league in 2018 ranks fifth among all NFL players during that span. "Bates has always had good ball skills, but his tackling has improved," an AFC executive said. Lack of physicality was a criticism of Bates during his four-year stint in Cincinnati, but he is viewed as more of a complete player now with 234 tackles over the past two seasons. He isn't afraid to take aggressive angles and try to punch the ball out when tackling. -- Jeremy Fowler, ESPN Due to a lack of salary cap space, the Falcons weren't able to make any splash signings in free agency. Instead, the team doubled down on edge rushers in the 2025 NFL draft, trading away a future first-round pick to pair Tennessee edge James Pearce Jr. with Georgia linebacker Jalon Walker. In the third round, Atlanta traded up again to secure Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts. While veteran Jordan Fuller will likely start in Week 1, Watts could be Bates' backfield mate by the end of the season. Either, way the Falcons appear to have more defensive firepower up front, which should lead to better play on the back end of their defense in 2025. ESPN also ranked Bijan Robinson among the NFL's top 10 running backs in their recent poll of execs, coaches and scouts. Advertisement - Check out our latest Falcons 53-man roster projection as the team prepares for the start of training camp This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Falcons News: Jessie Bates voted No. 4 safety by NFL coaches, scouts
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bijan Robinson, Michael Penix Jr. among Falcons' highest-graded players
The Atlanta Falcons are less than two weeks away from kicking off their second training camp under head coach Raheem Morris. Despite recording their highest win total since 2017, the Falcons' 8-9 record wasn't enough to snap their seven-year postseason drought. As the team prepares for the 2025 season, quarterback Michael Penix Jr. is set to lead what should be an explosive offense. Penix appeared in five games (three starts) last season, finishing with Atlanta's third-highest Pro Football Focus grade (87.9). Advertisement Veteran safety Jessie Bates III will look to guide a revamped defense featuring multiple rookie starters. Bates is Atlanta's top-rated returning defensive starter, while Chris Lindstrom is the team's highest-graded player overall (93.5). Check out the Falcons' 10 highest-graded players (based on 2024 overall season grade) below. Falcons PFF grades: 10 highest-graded players OL Chris Lindstrom: 93.5 RB Bijan Robinson: 92.8 QB Michael Penix: 87.9 WR Drake London: 87.8 RB Tyler Allgeier: 86.4 DB Kevin King: 81.7 CB Natrone Brooks: 80.8 FS Jessie Bates: 80.2 OT Jake Matthews: 79.8 CB Clark Phillips III: 76.5 - READ: Falcons 53-man roster projection: Pre-training camp edition This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Atlanta Falcons: 10 highest-graded players entering 2025 NFL season
USA Today
04-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Falcons safety Jessie Bates III makes NFL Top 100 Players of 2025
Bates is the second Falcons player to make the NFL Top 100 for the 2025 season The Atlanta Falcons have several new faces to acclimate on defense as they prepare for the start of the 2025 NFL season. Fortunately, the team has a few experienced veterans in place, including safety Jessie Bates III and defensive lineman David Onyemata, to help ease the transition. Bates was the only player in the NFL to record four interceptions and four forced fumbles last season. The 28-year-old signed a four-year, $64 million contract with the Falcons in 2023. Thus far, he's been worth every penny. While Bates didn't make the Pro Bowl in 2024, he was listed on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2025 countdown. The playmaking safety was ranked No. 92 on the list. Watch the full segment below, as shared by the NFL's social media account. Jessie Bates ranked 92 on NFL Top 100 Players of 2025 Bates was the second Falcons player revealed in the NFL's countdown. Wide receiver Drake London was ranked No. 97 on the NFL Top 100 Players countdown. Don't be surprised to see a few more Falcons make the list, including right guard Chris Lindstrom and running back Bijan Robinson.
USA Today
05-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Falcons' Jessie Bates cracks top 5 of PFF's safety rankings for 2025 season
Falcons' Jessie Bates cracks top 5 of PFF's safety rankings for 2025 season Jessie Bates III ranked among NFL's elite safeties by Pro Football Focus The Atlanta Falcons defense had a roller-coaster season in 2024, ending with two ugly performances in losses to the Washington Commanders and Carolina Panthers. After the season, the team fired defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake and replaced him with Jeff Ulbrich. While we expect the defense to look much different in 2025, one player Ulbrich can count on is safety Jessie Bates III. The Pro Bowl playmaker delivered again last season, bringing in four interceptions, four forced fumbles and one sack. Bates has 10 interceptions since signing with the Falcons during the 2023 offseason. The 28-year-old didn't make the Pro Bowl or All-Pro teams, but he still cracked the top five of Pro Football Focus' safety rankings for the 2025 season. Bates landed at No. 3 on PFF's list: While Bates didn't replicate his success from his first season in Atlanta — in which he earned a 90.6 PFF overall grade — he was still among the best safeties in the league in 2024. He was especially good in coverage, evidenced by his 81.4 PFF coverage grade, which ranked eighth at the position. Zoltán Buday, PFF The Falcons did a solid job of upgrading around Bates without using a ton of resources. After signing veteran Jordan Fuller in free agency, the team stole Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts in the third round of the 2025 NFL draft. Atlanta also drafted Oklahoma safety Billy Bowman in the fourth round. Watts, who recorded six interceptions for the Fighting Irish last season, was ranked 36th overall on PFF's 2025 Big board. Atlanta landed him at pick No. 96 after moving up a few spots in the third round. "Watts is the best ball-hawking safety in this class thanks to his intelligence and ability to break on the football," PFF wrote. Bowman is expected to compete for reps at nickel this season. The team also re-signed veterans Dee Alford and Mike Hughes. This group has a good mix of talent and leadership, and it all starts with Bates. We'll see if Ulbrich can get the most out of this unit in 2025.
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Rival Atlanta Falcons Unintentionally Troll Themselves On Social Media
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Rival Atlanta Falcons Unintentionally Troll Themselves On Social Media originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Divisional rivalries in the NFL can often be brutal, with one team sometimes trolling the others in the division after big wins or unfortunate losses. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons are no exception. Advertisement But sometimes, just sometimes, a team can troll itself without even knowing it. Super Bowl LI in Houston, which wrapped up the 2016 NFL season, was one for the ages. And one that Falcons fans won't ever forget, no matter how much they want to. On Tuesday, if any of them had forgotten, they were reminded by the Falcons' social media team. During Atlanta's voluntary OTAs, the Falcons' social media team posted a photo of safety Jessie Bates III standing next to corner Mike Ford on the field. While that sounds innocent enough, the photo itself speaks to the opposite. Bates wears No. 3 and Ford wears No. 28. For Falcons fans, seeing 28 and 3 together brings back horrific memories of that Super Bowl. Fans saw what the Falcons didn't, and quickly responded, asking the team to remove the photo. As a reminder ... and I'll apologize now to Falcons fans for re-hashing this ... Atlanta was up on New England late in the third quarter by a score of 28-3 in Super Bowl LI. As fans were cheering what would be the franchise's first Super Bowl, Tom Brady and the Patriots mounted a comeback for the ages, and won the game 34-28 in overtime. Advertisement That occasion has even turned into a national holiday outside of the state of Georgia, as Brady often posts, "Happy 3/28 day!" on March 28. While it's a tough reminder "what might've been" for Falcons fans, it's also a reminder that sometimes a photo of a harmless moment isn't what it seems. Be better, Falcons. Related: Bucs Star Defender Reveals Hardest Offensive Coaches to Game Plan Against Related: Buccaneers Offensive Star Ranked Near Top of NFL This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on May 31, 2025, where it first appeared.
