Atlanta Falcons star Jessie Bates named NFL top 3 safeties

Last offseason, the Atlanta Falcons made Jessie Bates III the fourth-highest-paid safety in NFL history with a four-year contract worth just over $64 million.

Bates lived up to the hype, leading the Falcons in tackles with 132 and recording six of the team’s eight interceptions. He also forced three fumbles, made three tackles for loss and tied for the team lead with 11 passes defended.

After seeing Antoine Winfield Jr. of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers sign a four-year, $84.1 million contract in the offseason, Bates feels like a steal after his first season in Atlanta.

Among defensive backs in the league, Bates trails only Minnesota Vikings star Camryn Bynum (137) in tackles, while his six interceptions are third-most.

As a result, Bates earned his first career Pro Bowl appearance while being named a second-team All-Pro for the second time in his six-year career — and the rest of the NFL is taking notice.

In an anonymous poll of NFL coaches and executives, Bates was ranked third in the league as a safety, behind Winfield Jr. and Kyle Hamilton of the Baltimore Ravens.

“What he does well is dislodge the ball — not just interceptions but disrupting what should be completions,” one AFC executive told ESPN of Bates. “He’s been one of the most consistent safeties in the league for a long time now.”

Bates has received votes as high as No. 1 and as low as No. 6, where he was placed the past two seasons before surging in the polls this summer.

Bates, 27, is surrounded by a plethora of new faces on the coaching staff, with head coach Raheem Morris, defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake and secondary coach Justin Hood all arriving this spring.

Assistant coach/defenseman Jerry Gray, who spends much of his time with the secondary, is back for 2024, but the rest of the voices closest to Bates are fresh.

Last year, Bates had no trouble adapting to a new system. He’ll have to do the same this year – and Lake is confident he’ll do it.

“What a fantastic football player,” Lake said this spring. “You can see that Jessie’s ball skills are really top of the league.”

Clearly, from his ball skills to his vast array of traits, Bates East among the best in the championship – at No. 3, with another opportunity looming this fall to climb two places higher.