Falcons All-Decade Team

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Falcons all-decade team: Defense, special teams players

Jul 13, 2020 at 09:58 AM

Kelsey Conway

AtlantaFalcons.com reporter

Over the next two weeks, the Atlanta Falcons will be unveiling the 2010-19 All-Decade Team, presented by American Family Insurance, in celebration of the franchise's most successful decade.

The team – selected by members of the national and local media, Falcons alumni and staff – is comprised of 12 offensive and defensive players, 11 starters and a flex position awarded to the highest-vote getter that is not part of the starting 11.

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Looking back over the last decade on the defensive side of the ball, several individual performances by different Falcons stand out immediately.

Whether it be John Abraham's 32.5 sacks in his final three seasons in Atlanta or Desmond Trufant's Pro Bowl 2015 season, all of these players are a big reason for the success in the last decade.

Three players who are currently on the Falcons' roster were selected to the team in Grady Jarrett, Ricardo Allen and Deion Jones.

These players along with Vic Beasley – who led the NFL in sacks with 15.5 – in particular were the core of Atlanta's defense in 2016 when the Falcons won the NFC Championship and earned a trip to Super Bowl LI.

Several of the most successful seasons in franchise history have been a result of the play on defensive side of the ball.

From the 2012 season when the Falcons allowed just 18.7 points per game – which was No. 6 in the league – to the 2017 season when Atlanta ranked in the top-10 in yards allowed per game, the impact these units had was significant.

Here's a position-by-position look at the defensive team:

Defensive end: John Abraham (2010-12)

Abraham led the way on defense during his final three seasons with the Falcons recording 32.5 sacks

Defensive end: Vic Beasley (2015-19)

In five seasons with the Falcons, Beasley recorded 37.5 sacks and 156 tackles

Defensive tackle: Grady Jarrett (2015-current)

Jarrett is coming off a Pro Bowl season where he recorded a career-best 7.5 sacks and 69 tackles

Defensive tackle: Jonathan Babineaux (2010-16)

In seven seasons, Babineaux combined for 204 tackles

Linebacker: Deion Jones (2016-current)

Since being drafted in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft, Jones has recorded nine interceptions and 409 tackles

Linebacker: Curtis Lofton (2010-11)

In two seasons, Lofton recorded 265 tackles

Linebacker: Sean Weatherspoon (2010-14, 2016-17)

During his standout 2011 season, Weatherspoon registered 115 tackles

Cornerback: Desmond Trufant (2013-19)

In seven seasons with the Falcons, the former first-round pick played in all 16 games three consecutive seasons and collected 13 interceptions

Cornerback: Robert Alford (2013-18)

Alford recorded 11 intercepts and 303 tackles during his time in Atlanta, highlighted by his pick-six in Super Bowl LI

Safety: William Moore (2010-15)

From 2010-15, Moore tallied 12 quarterback hits and 362 tackles

Safety: Ricardo Allen (2014-current)

In six seasons with the Falcons, Ricardo Allen has registered 315 tackles and nine interceptions

Flex: Brent Grimes (2010-13)

From 2010-13, Grimes was a playmaker in Atlanta's defense recording 10 interceptions

Five spots were also awarded to a kicker, punter, returner, special teamer and long snapper.

With Matt Bryant, Matt Bosher and Josh Harris playing almost every game together from 2012-19, the Falcons' special teams unit was one of the most consistent in the league.

Highlighted by the many memorable game-winning moments made by Bryant, the franchise's all-team leading scorer will go down as one of the best players to ever wear a Falcons uniform.

Bryant was 259 of 296 (87.5 percent) on field goal attempts as a Falcon. He missed just four extra point attempts in his career in Atlanta, finishing 386 of 390 (99 percent).

The following players were selected to the special teams unit:

Kicker: Matt Bryant (2010-19)