Vic Beasley Jr., Julio Jones and Matt Ryan were named to the Associated Press All-Pro team this afternoon.
The 2015 first round pick has found his niche in the NFL in his second season, as he gains his first AP All-Pro selection. Beasley Jr. led all players with 15.5 sacks, and finished second on the franchise's single-season sack list, one away from former Falcon John Abraham (2008). In week 14, Beasley Jr. became the first Falcon - and 10th NFL player - with 3 sacks and a fumble returned for a touchdown in a single game since sacks became official in 1982. In week five, in the Mile High City he recorded a career high 3.5 sacks versus the Broncos. Since 1994, those 3.5 sacks recorded that day are tied for the second most by a Falcons in a single game.
The former Clemson standout also led the league in forced fumbles – six. His six forced fumbles on the season were tied for the most in franchise history. Beasley Jr. won the NFC Defensive Player of the Week award for his performance against the Los Angeles Rams in week 14. He posted the second three-sack game of his career and scored his first career touchdown in Atlanta's 42-14 win over Los Angeles. He also won NFC Defensive Player of the Month for his performance in the months of December/January. During the last five games of the season Beasley Jr. recorded six sacks, along with two forced fumbles – both were tied for the most in the NFL over that time period.
Jones has earned his second consecutive All-Pro selection. Jones has been impressive since entering the league in 2011, but the last two seasons "Jet Jones" has thrust himself into the upper-echelon category of all-time receivers. After recording 1,871 yards in 2015, Jones has followed that up by putting up 1,409 receiving yards – second in the league – in only 14 games. According to Radar 360, since 2000 his 1,105 yards through the first 10 games of the season were the seventh most receiving yards for a receiver's first 10 games of the season. Jones has also passed the 100-yard mark seven times this season, knocking his career 100-yard game total to 35 – four off the franchise record.
In week four, Jones put up 300 yards receiving against the Carolina Panthers, which is the fourth most receiving yards recorded in a game in the Super Bowl era. In week 10, Jones played his 75th career game and recorded his 475th career reception, which became the most in NFL history in a player's first 75 games. A few weeks later, the former Alabama standout passed former Falcons receiver Terance Mathis and moved to second on the franchise's all-time receiving yards list on the first play of the game in week 13. He passed Mathis in 49 fewer games played - Jones 77 games; Mathis 126 games.
With his stellar play this season, Ryan has earned his first All-Pro selection. This season, Ryan threw for a franchise record 4,944 yards, which was second in the NFL and had a passer rating of 117.1 – a league and career high. He also broke his career high – franchise record – with 38 passing touchdowns, which was the second most touchdown passes in the league. This season, Ryan completed at least 70-percent of his passes eight times, and he completed 69.9-percent of his passes, which was also a career high and ranked third in the NFL this season.
The ninth-year signal caller enjoyed the best year of his career. Ryan averaged a career high 9.3 yards per attempt, the highest yards per attempt average in the NFL this season and the most in the NFL since 2000 – Kurt Warner 9.9. In week seven, Matt Ryan broke an NFL record by throwing for 200 yards in 46 straight games, and in week 12 he became the first player in NFL history to pass for 200 yards in 50 consecutive games. His 200 passing yards streak currently stands at 55 games. In week four versus the Panthers, he threw for a career high 503 yards, which was the second highest game passing total this season.
