Atlanta Falcons Well Represented on Top Safeties Rankings

Atlanta Falcons fans like to believe they have the best safety tandem in the NFL. In this case, it's not just fan bias, NFL personnel and executives polled by ESPN thinks the Falcons have an excellent case as well.

After leaving Drake London out of the top-10 wide receivers in the NFL, the list of safeties included veteran Jessie Bates III at No. 5, down one spot from No. 4 in 2025. Xavier Watts cracked the honorable mention at No. 14 after just one season.

"Instincts and ball skills have allowed him to play at a high level for a long time," an NFL coordinator told ESPN of Bates. "That's why his game is aging well. He's just got a knack for being around the ball."

Watts was one of only two second-year players to make honorable mention or better. The Seahawks Nick Emmanwori came in one place behind Bates at No. 6. Emmanwori finished second in the Defensive Rookie of the Year voting last season, ahead of both James Pearce Jr. and Watts.

One could argue he benefited by playing for a higher-profile, Super Bowl-winning team in Seattle. A box safety who excels in a hybrid-linebacker role, Emmanwori was praised for his work against the run after racking up 81 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and an interception.

A pair of Falcons rookies had better numbers. Pearce led all rookies with 10.5 sacks, and Watts, playing a more traditional safety role, led all rookies with five interceptions and added 96 tackles.

"He has a chance to be one of the best safeties in the league. [He] has very similar qualities to his running mate [Bates]," an NFL coordinator told ESPN of Watts.

NFL.com's Nick Shook is predicting even bigger things for Watts in 2026.

Similar to the argument at running back, the biggest competition for top safety tandem comes from the Detroit Lions. The Lions are the only team in the NFL with two players in the top 10: No. 4 Brian Branch and No. 9 Kerby Joseph.

The Houston Texans also get two on the list with Calen Bullock checking in at No. 10, followed quickly by Jalen Pitre at No. 11.

Watts was the forgotten man in the Pearce trade that was heavily criticized by draft pundits following the 2025 NFL Draft. However, getting a 10.5-sack rookie and a Pro Bowl-caliber safety in one draft may have been former general manager Terry Fontenot's parting gift.

Bates is scheduled to be a free agent after this season. He carries a massive $24.8 million salary cap hit in the final year of his contract. He's indicated he'd like to return to the Falcons, and Atlanta could save up to $10 million this season with an extension.

However, new general manager Ian Cunningham may want to pour more resources into premium positions to help offset the roster imbalance that has plagued the Falcons over the last several seasons.

As the Falcons get ready to report for training camp on July 28th, they'll do so with one of the best pair of safeties in the NFL.

Beyond 2026? We'll see.