The Atlanta Falcons have decided to place the franchise tag on defensive lineman Grady Jarrett. He spent the first four years of his career with the Atlanta Falcons.
Falcons placed franchise tag on DT Grady Jarrett, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 4, 2019
Falcons Place Franchise Tag on Grady Jarrett
Jarrett is coming off perhaps the best season of his young career. Playing in 14 games, Jarrett recorded six sacks, 52 tackles and three forced fumbles on year. One of the lone bright spots on the Atlanta defense, Jarrett is an anchor in the run game while also possessing the ability to get to the passer with interior pressure.
Jarrett first entered the league as the Atlanta Falcons fifth-round selection in the 2015 NFL Draft. Serving as a rotational piece as a rookie, Jarrett earned a full-time starting role in the 2016 season. During his first year as a starter, Jarrett recorded three sacks, 48 fumbles, and nine quarterback hits. While his regular season was great, Jarrett took his play to another level during Atlanta’s postseason run. In Super Bowl LI, Jarrett recorded three sacks and four quarterback hits against the New England Patriots. While New England ended up winning that game, Jarrett was one of Atlanta’s best defenders throughout the contest.
Jarrett built on his strong Super Bowl performance to establish himself as one of the leagues’ better defensive tackles in the 2017 season. Playing another full season, Jarrett recorded a then-career-high in sacks (four), tackles (55), and quarterback hits (13).
Jarrett played his college ball with the Clemson Tigers. During his time in the collegiate ranks, Jarrett recorded 5.5 sacks, 144 tackles, and 28.5 tackles-for-loss. Jarrett’s best season likely came in the 2013 season, as the then-Junior recorded two sacks, 59 tackles, 10 tackles-for-loss, and two fumble recoveries. While he didn’t earn national attention in his college days, his play in the NFL has made him one of the best interior defenders in football.
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