Atlanta Falcons’ Jessie Bates in good company in latest safety rankings

It cost the Atlanta Falcons more … than $64 million to sign safety Jessie Bates III in NFL free agency last offseason. But it’s worth every penny.

Despite a successful stint with the Cincinnati Bengals, Bates received little attention during his first five years in the league. But in 2023, he was recognized as one of the best safeties in the league, earning his first Pro Bowl nomination and his first All-Pro team by the NFL Players Association.

On June 3, Zoltan Buday of Pro Football Focus ranked Bates as the third-best safety in the NFL.

“Arguably the best free agent addition of the 2023 offseason, Bates rediscovered his 2020 form in his first season in Atlanta,” Buday wrote. “He earned a career-high 90.6 overall PFF grade, surpassing his 90.1 grade in 2020.

“Bates’ six interceptions ranked second among safeties in 2023, and he was the only player at the position to rank in the top three in run defense and coverage.”

The only safeties Buday ranked ahead of Bates were Antoine Winfield Jr. of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Kyle Hamilton of the Baltimore Ravens.

During his first season with the Falcons, Bates recorded a career-high 132 combined tackles and 6 interceptions. He also had 11 pass defenses and 3 forced fumbles.

Bates made the All-Pro second team for the first time in his career with the Bengals in 2020. He recorded 109 combined tackles, 3 interceptions and 15 pass defenses this season. But in 2021 and 2022, Bates has failed to make more than 88 combined tackles for 8 pass defenses.

He was much more visible in the black and red last fall, which is exactly what the Falcons needed.

In his early days in Atlanta, Bates had 2 interceptions and a team-high 10 combined tackles in a 24-10 win over the Carolina Panthers. In Week 12, he returned an interception for a touchdown in a 24–15 victory against the New Orleans Saints.

With Bates, the Falcons have more than solidified the back end of their defense. If the unit can better pressure the quarterbacks with its mid-round rookies and get a little better coverage from AJ Terrell and the cornerback room, then Atlanta will be one step closer to a defense of championship caliber in 2024.