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A.J. Terrell, Chris Lindstrom make TD Wire’s most underrated team

matt urben
·2 min read

As Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith recently stated, “any good team knows how to rebuild every year.” When you have the same quarterback for 14 years, though, it can cover up for a lot of other areas.

The Falcons finally ripped the band-aid off and traded Matt Ryan back in March, opening the door for a new era of football in Atlanta. While it may be a bit rocky at first, the future looks bright with young stars like cornerback A.J. Terrell, tight end Kyle Pitts and guard Chris Lindstrom in place.

Terrell and Lindstrom were recently named to Touchdown Wire’s most underrated offensive and defensive teams. Here’s what Doug Farrar had to say about each player.

TD Wire on Chris Lindstrom:

Chris Lindstrom
Chris Lindstrom

Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

“The spiky and inconsistent nature of the Falcons’ 2021 offensive line can be summed up with these numbers: Last season, rookie left guard Jalen Mayfield led all NFL guards with 11 sacks allowed,” writes Farrar. “Right guard Chris Lindstrom, however, was one of just three guards (Halapoulivaati Vaitai of the Lions and Justin Pugh of the Cardinals were the others) who didn’t give up a single sack among those who played at least 50% of their offenses’ snaps.

The Falcons selected Lindstrom with the 14th overall pick in the 2019 draft out of Boston College, and 2021 was the year in which Lindstrom was able to put it all together — he gave up just eight quarterback hits and 23 quarterback hurries in 661 pass-blocking reps. He also proved to be a good, technically sound run-blocker.“

TD Wire on A.J. Terrell:

Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

“The Falcons took Terrell out of Clemson with the 16th pick int he 2020 draft, despite the fact that the most recent on-field memory of Terrell was the fact that Ja’Marr Chase absolutely lit him up in the 2019 CFP National Championship. The Falcons no doubt gave Terrell a mulligan on the presumption that Ja.Marr Chase lights just about everybody up, which has proven to be true. In his rookie season, Terrell allowed 71 receptions on 102 targets for 901 yards, 301 yards after the catch, five touchdowns, one interception, and an opponent passer rating of 109.2.

Less than optimal. However, Terrell had a complete reversal of fortune in 2021, allowing 29 catches on 66 targets for 200 yards, 93 yards after the catch, three touchdowns, three interceptions, and an opponent passer rating of 47.5. Only Rasul Douglas (the guy right above Terrell on this list) had a lower passer rating allowed among starting cornerbacks. Terrell also had 13 pass breakups, which ranked fifth in the league.“

Terrell and Lindstrom weren’t the only members of last year’s team to make TD Wire’s most underrated players list. Linebacker Foye Oluokun, who has since signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars, made the cut.

TD Wire on Foye Oluokun:

Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

“The Falcons selected Oluokun, who wasn’t invited to the scouting combine the year he was eligible, in the sixth round of the 2018 draft out of Yale. It took a couple years for Oluokun to get the reps his talent deserved, but things started to come together for him over the last two seasons.

Whether in coverage, blowing up run fits, or providing pressure, Oluokun has become a real asset. The Jaguars agreed, signing him to a three-year, $45 million contract with $28 million guaranteed. It seems a bit rich unless you’ve seen him play.“

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Story originally appeared on Falcons Wire